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Ka‘ū News Briefs, Saturday, June 13, 2020

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While Volcanoes National Park gate opens this Monday, Volcano Art Gallery in the original Volcano House
Hotel will open to the public on Wednesday. Photo from Experience Volcano

A FIRE DESTROYED THE CRUZ FAMILY HOME in Pāhala today. The house is across from the Community Center and gas station. Neighbors said they believed that Mrs. Eufemia Cruz was trapped inside. They tried to break in, but the fire raged quickly to engulf the house. Firefighters, less than a block away, rushed to the scene and put down the inferno in a stiff wind. With smoke billowing through the village, firefighters and neighbors doused adjacent houses and saved them, the community center, and gas station. The Cruz house was gutted. Her son Orlando Cruz, who also lived there, was able to escape with some burns treated at Ka‘ū Hospital.
     Mrs. Cruz was known for her Filipino pastries and banana bread, still making them well into her 90s. She cooked them on Saturday mornings in her basement and sold them in the afternoons, a driver taking her around town.
     Community members around the scene described her as the area's last living Sakada, who came here on a ship from the Philippines to work and live in Hawaiʻi in 1946.
     In addition to firefighters from Pāhala Fire Station, responders came from Volcano Fire Station and Pāhala Volunteer Fire Station, along with police and medics.
A fire gutted the Cruz family home in Pāhala today during stiff winds. Mrs. Eufemia Cruz, over 90 years of age, is
believed to have been inside. She was famous for her banana bread, which she still sold house to house in
recent months. Photo by Julia Neal
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.

WILL HAWAIʻI COUNTY GIVE LEGAL VACATION RENTAL OWNERS a property tax break for the time they were prohibited from renting them during the pandemic?  Rental by Owner Awareness Association released a statement today, saying the organization asked all four counties whether property taxes will be deferred. City & County of Honolulu adopted a deferment plan without penalty or interest. "County of Hawaiʻi said there were no options for deferral of property tax payments. The county of Kauaʻi said they were still considering the matter. The county of Maui did not reply to repeated requests for information."
     Mayors of Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi all decided to allow transient vacation rentals to re-open this coming week to host guests, with the exception of those subject to quarantine. "This means guests who have been in Hawai'i for 14 days, who live on the island of your rental, have traveled inter-island to the island of your rental, are allowed to stay in your vacation rental," said the statement from Rental by Owner. "Rental to those subject to quarantine is still restricted, although owners can reside in the properties, but must abide by quarantine rules. All three county mayors pointed out that the ability to rent only extended to legal vacation rentals." Gov. David Ige recently extended the quarantine for out of state visitors to July 31.
     Rental By Owner also noted "multiple lawsuits launched against the Governor, the Mayors, the state, and counties in regards to vacation rentals and the quarantine in general. Rental by Owner has not joined in with any of those lawsuits, however, we think that one of them regarding vacation rentals may have been the impetus for the mayors to reverse their earlier positions. It was a well-reasoned argument that essentially stated that there was no legal justification for the ban on vacation rentals."
     Rental by Owner also stated, "We are aware that the hotel industry is working very hard to garner whatever little tourist market there will be in Hawaiʻi over the next few years. We have seen statements in the media which are, shall we say, 'unverifiable,' about the benefits of hotels. Competition will be stiff for many months. Be prepared."

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.

Volcano Art Center's Niʻaulani Campus is open. The Gallery inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park opens 
on Wednesday. VAC photo
VOLCANO ART CENTER GALLERY REOPENS WEDNESDAY, June 17, The gallery in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has been closed since March, when the Park closed its gates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. VAC's Niʻaulani Campus in VolcanoVillage reopened to the public on Monday, June 1,
     Operating under CDC guidelines and social distancing protocol, VAC Gallery will be open Wednesday through Sunday. The Niʻaulani Gallery in VolcanoVillage remains open Monday through Friday, with the Nature Trail & SculptureGarden.

     Both locations now offer virtual shopping appointments. Via Skype or FaceTime, a VAC associate helps customers browse the selection of artwork up close, and gives personalized tips and recommendations to help customers "find that perfect piece of locally made artwork, wherever you are in the world!" Book an appointment online for $5 and VAC staff will help schedule a date and time, here. Shop the online gallery 24/7. Orders are shipped as regularly scheduled. Free local pickup is available.
     VAC also now offers a Virtual Classroom, which features over 90 videos.
     A message from the gallery says, "We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to the VolcanoArtCenter‘Ohana who have contributed donations, made purchases, took online courses, and offered support in so many ways these last few months. We are so appreciative and can't tell you enough how uplifting it is to hear from you while being confronted with the harsh realities of canceled contracts and budget cuts that VAC faces today. Your contributions provide us the needed hope in restructuring our creative community. As we softly reopen, VAC continues to place the safety and health of our associates, artists, members, and customers first and want you to know that we are doing all we can to make sure everyone feels comfortable."
The Nature Trail & SculptureGarden at Niʻaulani Gallery in VolcanoVillage is open Monday through Friday,
The current exhibit, Interplay: Art Science features sculptural works "inspired by Nature, informed by 
Science, expressed as Art," is on display through April 2021. VAC photos

     VAC guidelines are that all visitors must wear a CDC recommended face covering to enter the Gallery in the Park or Niʻaulani Gallery and classroom spaces in Volcano Village; those with cough, fever, or who do not feel well are asked to not visit. All visitors must maintain a six-foot distance from one another at all times; visitors may be asked to wait outside the Galleries to allow for social distancing inside. "We encourage you to use the hand sanitizer we provide at the entrance." Class participants are required to use the sanitizing supplies provided to clean areas after use. All classes will require pre-registration and will have a 10-person maximum. Social distancing floor markers and acrylic screens will be at checkout registers. Associates will be cleaning high touch areas frequently throughout the day including checkout register areas. "We will continue our pick-up service for local residents allowing you to order online, by phone, or email, should you prefer to continue doing so. We look forward to seeing you all again!"


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 ONLINE WORSHIP is available, St. Jude's Second Sunday after Pentecost, featuring Father Doug Coil, from Coco Beach, Florida. People are invited to join the Zoom Aloha Hour, Sunday, June 14 at with host Cynnie Salley. Go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6843449828?pwd=YW94djVvU0szOGNKaFZ1V0pUL1owUT09, meeting ID: 684 344 9828, password: Aloha.


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.

DEADLINE FOR TO APPLY FOR AG COVERAGE with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency's Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage programs for 2020 is Tuesday, June 30 by close of business. Although program elections for the 2020 crop year remain the same as elections made for 2019, all producers need to contact their local USDA FSA office to sign a 2020 enrollment contract.


     Producers who do not complete enrollment will be ineligible to receive a payment should one trigger for an eligible crop.

     Producers are eligible to enroll on farms with base acres for barley, canola, chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long-, medium-, and short-grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed, and wheat.
     More than 1.4 million ARC and PLC contracts have been signed for the 2020 crop year, 89 percent of expected enrollment. FSA will send reminder postcards to producers they expected to apply.

     ARC and PLC contracts can be mailed or emailed to producers for signature depending on producer preference. Signed contracts can be mailed or emailed back, or dropped off – call ahead for local drop off and other options for submitting signed contracts electronically.

     FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce said, "The Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs are critical safety-net programs for farmers, helping producers weather market distortions resulting from natural disasters, trade disruptions and, this year, a pandemic. Contact your FSA county office today to complete enrollment before June 30. This can be done in concert with filing your acreage report and applying for other FSA programs."

     For more information on ARC and PLC including web-based decision tools, visit farmers.gov/arc-plc.
     USDA Service Centers, including FSA county offices, are open for business by phone only, and field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone and using online tools whenever possible. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with the FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or any other Service Center agency are required to call their Service Center to schedule a phone appointment. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus. Visit offices.usda.gov to find location and contact information for the nearest FSA county office.

Watch how to grow mangoes.
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.

TIPS ON GROWING MANGOES AND BREADFRUIT are presented by Hawaiʻi Specialist Mark Suiso and Professor Noa Lincoln. A message from Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United shares both videos, which are part of a workshop series by Kahumana Organic Farms and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Program and in affiliation with HFUU, Wai'anae Chapter.
     On ʻulu: "Will breadfruit grow in your location? Hawaiʻi is one of the best places in the world to grow breadfruit. Dr. Noa Lincoln shares his knowledge and research about breadfruit habitat, varieties, and seasonal patterns in production."
Watch how to grow breadfruit.
     On manako: "People often ask, why do some fruit tree drop its fruit? Mark Suiso from Makaha Mangoes gives answers and demonstrates how to manage large mango trees for optimal production, including giving homeowners advice on pruning and how to prepare for mango season early on."


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.

HAWAIʻI WILL RECEIVE $54 MILLION TO HELP IMPROVE TEACHING AND LEARNING for at-risk students, announced Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. Title I, Part A federal aid will focus especially on students in low-income communities. The first round of funds will be dispersed in July, with the remaining funds, as adjusted, becoming available in October.

     Gabbard said, "Many of our keiki face challenges outside of their control and that require support in our schools. We have worked to ensure these funds are delivered to our teachers to help provide them with the tools they need to meet the educational needs of all our keiki, providing them with a strong foundation in learning."

     Gabbard's statement gives a background on Hawaiʻi public schools:
     "Hawaiʻi Department of Education's 256 K-12 public schools and 34 public charter schools, collectively make up the 10th largest school system in the nation, serving approximately 180,000 students. During the 2019-2020 school year, nearly 47 percent of those students were considered economically challenged.

     "Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 provides financial assistance to school districts for services that improve the teaching and learning of children at risk of not meeting challenging State academic standards, especially those children who reside in areas with high concentrations of children from low-income families.
     "There are two types of assistance that can be provided by Title I funds. The first is a 'schoolwide program' in which schools can dispense resources in a flexible manner. The second is a 'targeted assistance program' which allows schools to identify students who are failing or at risk of failing."


Onset of COVID-19 cases in the last 28 days, by zip code. White is 
zero cases. Yellow is one to five cases. Light orange (not pictured) 
is six to ten cases. Dark orange (not pictured) is 11 to 20 cases. 
Red (not pictured) is 21 to 50 cases.
Hawaiʻi Department of Health map
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.

NO NEW COVID-19 CASES ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND, but 17 new cases on Oʻahu bring the state's new case total to 76 in nine days.

     Hawaiʻi Island has recorded no new cases in nearly three weeks. All 81 COVID-19 victims on Hawaiʻi Island recovered. No one died here. There was only one overnight hospitalization.
     Since the pandemic began, Oʻahu has reported 489 cases, Kauaʻi 21, and MauiCounty120. Twelve victims are residents who were diagnosed while visiting other places. Statewide, 723 people have been confirmed positive for the virus. Seventeen people died.

     The daily message from Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Director Talmadge Magno says, "The Island of Hawaiʻi has done very well in minimizing the spread of the coronavirus. Your efforts and good work of prevention are why Hawaiʻi Island is in the present good status. In going forward, know the virus threat remains and we must continue to follow the preventive policies of distancing, gatherings, face coverings, cleanliness, and keeping physically and emotionally healthy. Thank you for doing your part in keeping Hawaiʻi safe. Thank you for listening and have a safe weekend. This is your Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency."
Civil Defense Director 
Talmadge Magno.
Photo from Big Island Video News
     In the United States, more than 2,073,603 cases have been confirmed. The death toll is over 115,383. Worldwide, more than 7,763,921 have contracted COVID-19. The death toll is more than 429,632.


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.

HOW KĪLAUEA'S RECENT ERUPTIVE HISTORY BEGAN is the focus of this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. Today's article is by HVO Research Corporation of the University of Hawai‘i geologist Lil DeSmither:

     Kīlauea's 1952 summit eruption ended a long period of inactivity.On June 27, 1952, an eruption started at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, ending a period of quiescence that had lasted nearly 18 years. 

     During the nearly two decades of quiet on Kīlauea following a summit eruption in 1934, there were several periods of increased earthquake activity and deformation beneath the summit. However, none of these phases of unrest resulted in an eruption. 

     Early in April 1952, a series of earthquakes began along Kīlauea's East Rift Zone and beneath the summit. The earthquakes, accompanied by summit inflation, persisted through May and June.

     At approximately  on June 27, an eruption commenced at the summit. A loud roaring and bright glow emanating from Halema‘uma‘u Crater alerted residents and staff in proximity to Kīlauea Caldera of the new eruption. 

     Within minutes of the eruption onset, HVO staff were on their way to the office located on Uēkahuna bluff. From HVO, a fountain erupting on the southwestern edge of the Halema‘uma‘u Crater floor was visibly over-topping the crater rim, nearly 245 m (800 ft) higher. The fountain quickly waned and by  was no longer visible from the bluff. 

Two small spatter cones, within a larger cone, are outgassing on the floor of Halema‘uma‘u Crater. A lava pond, approximately 30 m (100 ft) in diameter, is visible between the small cones. This photograph is looking westward, 
taken from the southeastern rim of the crater by G. Macdonald on August 27, 1952.

     HVO staff reached the Halema‘uma‘u Overlook 30 minutes after the eruption began. A 790 m (0.5 mile) long fissure crossed the entire floor of Halema‘uma‘u crater, and pooled lava had completely covered the crater floor. 

     A detailed account of the eruptions early hours can be found in another Volcano Watch article.

     The lake of lava had plates of cooled crust on its surface separated by cracks that provided views of the incandescent molten lava below – much like the smaller 2008-2018 lava lake within the Halema‘uma‘u "Overlook crater." The fountaining lava created waves over the surface of the lake that emanated outward from the fissure to the crater walls.

     Observers also noted seeing occasional whirlwinds on the lake surface that threw pieces of crust, up to a meter (yard) across, several meters into the air. This same phenomenon was observed in 2018 over the fissure 8 lava channel. 

     After the initial hours of the eruption, the lava fountains began to subside. After a little more than four hours, only the northeastern quarter of the fissure was active, and observers thought that the eruption could be ending. Shortly after, however, the southwestern end of the fissure reactivated with low bubbling fountains, and by that time Halema‘uma‘u Crater was estimated to have been filled with a lake of lava approximately 15 m (50 ft) deep.

Halemaʻumaʻu on May 4, 2018. USGS photo
     During the first two weeks of the eruption, small lava fountains continued to pop up along the surface of the lava lake.

     By July 11 the active length of the fissure had shortened to approximately 120 m (400 ft). Two main fountains persisted and began to build a large cinder and spatter cone within the lava lake. Gaps within the cone wall allowed lava to spill out and feed the surrounding lava lake, which had shrunk from a peak of 40 hectares (100 acres) on June 28 to about 14 hectares (34 acres) by early August. The lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u Crater in early 2018 paled in comparison, at approximately 4.2 hectares (10.4 acres).

     By the end of August, most of the erupted lava was contained within the large cone, where two active vents were building smaller spatter cones. Between the two spatter cones, there was a small lava pond that had an average diameter of about 30 m (100 ft). This continued – with occasional lava flows on the floor of Halema‘uma‘u Crater – for the next few months, until the eruption ended after 136 days on November 10.

     Approximately 0.05 km3 (64,000,000 cubic yards) of erupted lava was confined within Halema‘uma‘u Crater. The eruption filled the crater with 95 m (310 ft) of new lava, raising the floor from 235 m (770 ft) to 140 m (460 ft) below the rim. For comparison, the Halema‘uma‘u Crater floor prior to the 2018 summit collapse was approximately 80 m (260 ft) below the rim.

     After nearly two decades of quiet on Kīlauea Volcano, the 1952 eruption ended the longest eruptive pause on Kīlauea in (at least) the past 200 years.  

     Volcano Activity Updates

     Kīlauea Volcano is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/about_alerts.html). Kīlauea updates are issued monthly.

     Kīlauea monitoring data for the past month show variable but typical rates of seismicity and ground deformation, low rates of sulfur dioxide emissions, and only minor geologic changes since the end of eruptive activity in September 2018. The water lake at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u continues to slowly expand and deepen. For the most current information on the lake, see https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/summit_water_resources.html

Halemaʻumaʻu after the 2018 eruption. Photo from Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
     Mauna Loa is not erupting and remains at Volcano Alert Level ADVISORY. This alert level does not mean that an eruption is imminent or that progression to eruption from current level of unrest is certain. Mauna Loa updates are issued weekly.
     This past week, about 107 small-magnitude earthquakes were recorded beneath the upper-elevations of Mauna Loa; most of these occurred at shallow depths of less than 8 kilometers (~5 miles). Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements show long-term slowly increasing summit inflation, consistent with magma supply to the volcano's shallow storage system. Gas concentrations and fumarole temperatures as measured at both Sulphur Cone and the summit remain stable. Webcams show no changes to the landscape. For more information on current monitoring of Mauna Loa Volcano, see https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/monitoring_summary.html.

     There were 3 events with 3 or more felt reports in the Hawaiian islands during the past week: a magnitude-3.4 earthquake 6 km (4 mi) NE of Pāhala at 33 km (21 mi) depth on June 10 at 5:57 p.m., a magnitude-3.2 earthquake 5 km (3 mi) NNW of Pāhala at 35 km (22 mi) depth on June 10 at 5:05 p.m., and a magnitude-2.8 earthquake 6 km (4 mi) E of Pāhala at 33 km (21 mi) depth on June 09 at 10:59 a.m.

     HVO continues to closely monitor both Kīlauea and Mauna Loa for any signs of increased activity.
     Visit HVO's website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

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.

Kupu affiliates prepared native plants for planting at Kāwā last year. Photo by Kaweni Masaniai-Ibarra

Kaʻū Life: The Way We Were Last Year
Last year, Kupu's Hawaiʻi Youth Conservation Corps worked at Kāwā with Kaʻū's own Nā Mamo o Kāwā stewardship hui. As part of its summer program, Kupu sent five affiliates to stay in Pāhala and help with Kāwā conservation projects.
Lei from dryland forest foliage at Kāwā.
Photo by Kaweni Masaniai-Ibarra
     With three members enrolled in college, one college graduate, and one high school graduate, the group traveled to Kaʻū to learn about collaborative conservation. Under the guidance of Nā Mamo o Kāwā, Kupu aided in the stewardship efforts of Kāwā and continued their mission to revitalize connections to the ʻāina. Both Kupu and Nā Mamo o Kāwā members, including spiritual leader Duane Pua, offered daily cultural protocol to begin work along the beach trail and coastal lands.

     The group focused on Nā Mamo o Kāwā's efforts to care for the land, with such activities as clearing invasive plant species, propagating native plants, and maintaining integrity of coastal areas. In accordance with Kupu's mission to encourage pono through environmental stewardship and service-learning opportunities, Nā Mamo o Kāwā led the group through its plans while teaching the cultural importance of the area. Among native species planted and cared for are ʻulu (breadfruit), ʻūlei (Hawaiian rose), and alaheʻe (canthium).
     James Akau, executive director of Nā Mamo o Kāwā at the time, said the progress has been increasingly impactful as more groups have come in to contribute to the effort. Nā Mamo o Kāwā aims to clear invasive plants to increase the presence of native plant species, such as ʻaʻaliʻi (soapberry) and milo (sorghum), while incorporating useful plants that can benefit the community. This ties into their effort to restore a native dryland forest to the area. The fruits of the organization's labor have become apparent through an increase of native plants along the coast. At the end of the week, Kupu gathered ʻaʻaliʻi from Kāwā and local plumeria to craft lei.
     Pāhala Plantation Cottages hosted the Kupu affiliates during their stay in Kaʻū.

Kupu's mission to encourage pono was in action at Kāwā last year. Photo by Kaweni Masaniai-Ibarra


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.

EVENTS

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou will Host a Giveaway to Seniors and the Needy on Monday, June 15 at behind the Bank of Hawai‘i in Pāhala. The gift bags will include rice, chicken, canned goods, and toilet paper.

Advocate for Hawaiʻi Crops to be Included in Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Listing by submitting comments by June 22. The CFAP helps agricultural producers impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. Crops not included are coffee, macadamia nuts, cacao, and more. Comments can be submitted online, or by mail by, June 22. Go to regulations.gov/document?D=FSA-2020-0004-0003 or mail to: Director, SND, FSAU.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0522, WashingtonDC 20250-0522. Reference Docket ID: FSA-2020-0004.

     Questions? Contact William L. Beam, (202) 720-3175 or email Bill.Beam@usda.gov. Persons with disabilities or who require alternative means for communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
     "One well-supported comment is often more influential than a thousand form letters," says UH-CTAHR's Andrea Kawabata. See Tips for Submitting Effective Comments.



Register for Hawaiʻi Coffee Association Webinar Series.The virtual event will be held Wednesday, June 24 and Thursday, June 25. Each session is designed to provide important updates on the effects of the pandemic on the Hawaiʻi coffee industry and on the coffee industry at large, as well as addressing other useful topics to inform coffee professionals of changing trends and regulations. Each session must be registered for individually – go to hawaiicoffeeassoc.org/page-1771697. The sessions will be recorded and later published on the HCA website. To become a sponsor for the webinar, click here.


ONGOING
Free COVID-19 Screenings are at Bay Clinic during business hours, with appointment. Call 333-3600.
     A testing team from Aloha Critical Care in Kona will provide testing at St. Jude's every other Wednesday. The next date is June 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
     The next drive-thru screening at Nāʻālehu Community Center will be held Wednesday, June 24 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.

Ocean View Swap Meet is open at Ocean View makai shopping center, near Mālama Market. Hours for patrons are  Saturday and Sunday. Vendor set-up time is  Masks are required for all vendors and patrons.

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.

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.

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:

     Nāʻālehu's Sacred Heart Church at 95-558 Mamālahoa Hwy was June 1; the July date will be announced later.
     Ocean View's Kahuku Park was June 9; the July date will be announced later.
     Volcano's Cooper Center at 19-4030 Wright Road on  Wednesday, June 24.
     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.
     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
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  to  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.

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.






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