Kaʻū News Briefs, Monday, Sept. 4, 2023

AFTER DARK IN THE PARK ON TUESDAY FEATURES THE HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY ON UEKAHUNU: A LEGACY OF SCIENCE. The talk begins Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. at Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium. 

    The invitation tpublic event says, "Perched high on the rim of Uēkahuna since the late 1940s, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has been the hub of research and monitoring of Hawaiian volcanoes. The Reginald T. Okamura Building, constructed in 1985 and the heart of the observatory, was damaged beyond repair during the earthquakes of 2018. Join Don Swanson, who has a 55-year association with the observatory, as he takes us through the science conducted at this remarkable facility and the legacy being carried into the future."

    This Hawai'i Volcanoes' ongoing After Dark in the Park is sponsored by the Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Free, but park entrance fees apply.

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THE DEATH OF AN OCEAN VIEW MAN BY FOUR DOGS MAULING HIM in the 92-2000 block of Outrigger Drive on Aug. 1 has sparked calls for charging the dog owners under a new law that could be strengthened. The law that passed in 2022 followed the death of an 85 year old woman in Puna. It makes bodily injury or death caused by an unprovoked dog attack a Class B felony. Consequences include up to a $25,000 fine, up to ten years in prison, and court-ordered restitution. It allows for humane destruction of the guilty dogs.

    The owners of the dogs that killed the Ocean view man are under investigation under the law. A headline in Sunday's Hawaiian Tribune-Herald newspaper, said, "Still no arrests or charges in Ocean View dog attack." It is more than a month since 71-year old Bob Northrop was killed by the dogs.

   Tribune-Herald writer John Burnett reports on his conversation with Capt. Akira Edmoundson of Hawai'i Police Department's West Hawia'i Criminal Investigation Division. Edmoundson said that when the investigation is completed it will be sent to the county prosecutors to determine whether the dog owners will be charged. The dogs, a Staffordshre bull terrier and three of pit bull mix, have been seized and euthanized, along with ten of their puppies.

       Burnett also reports on another case. Owners of three dogs that went to the neighbor's yard in May and attacked a 32 year old woman and her mother in Ainaloa are charged under the law. They pleaded not guilty and a hearing is set for Sept. 29. In that case, the younger victim suffered two broken arms, lacerations and puncture wounds. The older woman's injuries were not as severe.

    According to Shannon Matson, daughter of the Ocean View victim, Northrop was walking to a friend's house from his home when the dogs attacked and killed him. Matson told The Ka'u Calendar that his death still seems unreal to her since he was such a dog lover. She also said she went to her father's house and has removed and adopted Northrop's own puppy who is living with her now. 

    Matson, who is active in public service, is an aide at the County Council and is working with council members to see if the the new law can be strengthened. She said she is shocked her father's death represents the second time the new law has been used this year alone to prosecute and investigate deadly dog attacks.

    Council member Michelle Galimba, who represents Ocean View was quoted earlier by Big Island Now concerning Northrop's death. “If the dogs had been secured in a fenced area or kennels, this would have been preventable.”
    Northrop was a school bus driver at the time of his death and also a retired county inspector and a glazier and carpenter. A Life Celebration will be held this Saturday, Sept. 9, at 2 p.m. at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

  

NEUROPLASTICITY & RESILIENCE: HOW TO BE RESPONSIVE RATHER THAN REACTIVE. That's the talk for Third Thursday this month, announced by non-profit Ku'ikahi Mediation Center, which hosts the  free session on Sept. 21 as part of its Finding Solutions, Growing Peace Brown Bag Lunch Series. Talks are noon to 1 pm via Zoom.

   This month's speaker is Indy Rishi Singh who invites attendees to  learn tools to tap into the brain's capacity to grow and evolve in response to life experiences. He asks, "Do you want to have happier and healthier relationships; a more resilient immune system and better digestion; and a deep appreciation for playfulness, curiosity, and courage—as well as learn how to breathe well, be a better listener, and better support yourself and others?" 
   Singh is a wellbeing engineer. He leads corporate wellness workshops and retreats with Fortune 500 companies; provides burnout and resilience retreats and workshops for healthcare workers, law enforcement, and activist organizations; presents mindfulness workshops with students in schools and universities; and is an active volunteer locally and globally. Singh is part of the non-profit Cultivating Self, a community of empowered healers.
    Ku'ikahi's Brown Bag Lunch Series is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to enjoy an informal and educational talk-story session and connect with others interested in "Finding Solutions, Growing Peace."

    To get the Zoom link, register online at https://freebrownbagtalk.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact Ku'ikahi Mediation Center at (808) 935-7844 or info@hawaiimediation.org. Or visit www.hawaiimediation.org.
    This lunch-and-learn series is made possible thanks in part to funding from the County of Hawai'i and Hawai'i Island United Way.