 |
| The Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park hosts the 34th annual Cultural Festival this Saturday, when participants can learn Hawaiian crafts, including lei making. NPS Photo by Jay Robinson |
The forum will focus on sustainability and environmental justice issues by posing related questions to County Council candidates. “We are making the effort to ensure that voters know where the candidates stand on these issues before they go to the polls Aug. 9,” said Kristine Kubat, who promotes and stages zero waste events for Recycle Hawai`i and is organizing the forum.
Resource management issues will be a hot topic at the forum, as will conservation and concerns related to overdevelopment, Kubat said.
Nelson Ho, Chair of the Sierra Club, Moku Loa Group covering Hawai`i Island, asks the community to make an effort to attend. “Since Hawai`i County adopted a non-partisan election format, many of the council races would be decided in the Aug. 9 primary,” he said. “We want voters to make sure their vote counts, and we want them to be informed.”
Laakea Caravalho and Kanani Frazier, of Knowledge in Motion, a nonprofit environmental education organization, are handling the guest list for Hawaiian panelists.
Resource management issues will be a hot topic at the forum, as will conservation and concerns related to overdevelopment, Kubat said.
Nelson Ho, Chair of the Sierra Club, Moku Loa Group covering Hawai`i Island, asks the community to make an effort to attend. “Since Hawai`i County adopted a non-partisan election format, many of the council races would be decided in the Aug. 9 primary,” he said. “We want voters to make sure their vote counts, and we want them to be informed.”
Laakea Caravalho and Kanani Frazier, of Knowledge in Motion, a nonprofit environmental education organization, are handling the guest list for Hawaiian panelists.
KA`U RESIDENTS CAN REGISTER TO VOTE at Pahala Community Center tomorrow and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The deadline to register to vote in the Aug. 9 primary election is Thursday.
Registration forms are also available at post offices in Ocean View, Na`alehu, Pahala and Volcano Village and at public libraries in Na`alehu and Pahala. Wikiwiki registration forms are also available online at hawaii.gov/elections.
For more information, call Hawai`i County Office of Elections at 961-8277 or see the website above.
Registration forms are also available at post offices in Ocean View, Na`alehu, Pahala and Volcano Village and at public libraries in Na`alehu and Pahala. Wikiwiki registration forms are also available online at hawaii.gov/elections.
For more information, call Hawai`i County Office of Elections at 961-8277 or see the website above.
KAHUA OLOHU MAKAHIKI GROUNDS IN NA`ALEHU are on the agenda of the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Committee’s meeting scheduled for this coming Monday, July 14 at 10 a.m. at West Hawai`i Civic Center in Kona. The property is one of about a dozen being considered for preservation.
The county considered using the state land and a smaller, adjacent, private property for the proposed Na`alehu sewage treatment plant until archaeological surveys revealed the existence of an ancient Hawaiian playing field.
 |
| The Open Space Commission is considering preservation of land in Na`alehu, which includes state-owned land here outlined in purple. Map from Pacific Legacy |
Most of the makahiki site is state land. The owners of the smaller 13-acre property, James and Elizabeth Weatherford, said they were considering farming and putting up a produce stand on their portion of the site until they learned of its historic significance. They said that they are hoping that it will be acquired by an agency or organization that will steward the property.
The property is described in Native Planters of Old Hawai`i: “The famous bowling field named Kahua-olohu (maika [bowling] stones were called olohu in Ka`u) was just below the present town of Na`alehu. It is a large level area to seaward of the road which must have been cleared and graded. In old Hawaiian times this broad kahua or plaza was used not just for bowling, but for other sports such as boxing, javelin throwing, and hula dancing during the Makahiki festival.”
The property is described in Native Planters of Old Hawai`i: “The famous bowling field named Kahua-olohu (maika [bowling] stones were called olohu in Ka`u) was just below the present town of Na`alehu. It is a large level area to seaward of the road which must have been cleared and graded. In old Hawaiian times this broad kahua or plaza was used not just for bowling, but for other sports such as boxing, javelin throwing, and hula dancing during the Makahiki festival.”
MAYOR BILLY KENOI JOINED HAWAI`I’S THREE other county mayors, Office of Hawaiian Affairs leadership and Gov. Neil Abercrombie in launching the Aloha+ Challenge: A Culture of Sustainability – He Nohona ‘Ae‘oia at a declaration signing held at Hawai`i State Capitol. The commitment sets clear targets for clean energy transformation, local food production, natural resource management, waste reduction, smart growth, climate resilience, green jobs and education by 2030:
- 70 percent clean energy – 40 percent from renewables and 30 percent from efficiency (reinforcing the Hawai`i Clean Energy Initiative);
- At least double local food production – 20 to 30 percent of food consumed is grown locally;
- Reverse the trend of natural resource loss mauka to makai by increasing freshwater security, watershed protection, community-based marine management, invasive species control and native species restoration;
- Reduce the solid waste stream prior to disposal by 70 percent through source reduction, recycling, bioconversion and landfill diversion methods;
- Increase livability and resilience in the built environment through planning and implementation at state and county levels;
- Increase local green jobs and education to implement these targets.
The state Legislature unanimously passed the Aloha+ Challenge through resolution this year. Hawai`i Green Growth, which brings together key leaders from federal, state, county, business and nonprofit organizations, hosted the declaration signing to show broad support.
 |
| Mayor Billy Kenoi, standing behind Gov. Neil Abercrombie, joined other Hawai`i mayors and OHA leadership in launching the Aloha+ Challenge. Photo from Office of the Governor |
Kenoi said, “The Aloha+ Challenge is about protecting our Hawai`i and maximizing our resources to improve the quality of life for our communities. It reinforces that our decision-making as a state must focus on sustaining our resources for generations to come, and must be rooted in aloha.”
Abercrombie said, “The Aloha+ Challenge brings us all together across jurisdictions, agencies, sectors and communities to build a sustainable Hawai`i for current and future generations. The targets transcend political timelines with a longer-term vision that also calls upon us to take bold action now. As a microcosm of the world’s sustainability challenges, it is time for Hawai`i to become a global model of how to develop innovative and collaborative solutions.”
Hawai`i’s commitment to the Aloha+ Challenge is already creating international attention. With the U.S. Department of State, Hawai`i has been invited to announce the challenge on the world stage at a high-level Global Island Partnership event in Samoa this September, during the United Nations’ International Conference on Small Island Developing States, which focuses on sustainable development.
Abercrombie said, “The Aloha+ Challenge brings us all together across jurisdictions, agencies, sectors and communities to build a sustainable Hawai`i for current and future generations. The targets transcend political timelines with a longer-term vision that also calls upon us to take bold action now. As a microcosm of the world’s sustainability challenges, it is time for Hawai`i to become a global model of how to develop innovative and collaborative solutions.”
Hawai`i’s commitment to the Aloha+ Challenge is already creating international attention. With the U.S. Department of State, Hawai`i has been invited to announce the challenge on the world stage at a high-level Global Island Partnership event in Samoa this September, during the United Nations’ International Conference on Small Island Developing States, which focuses on sustainable development.
HAWAI`I EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, formerly known as state Civil Defense, encourages members of the public to sign up for local emergency notifications provided by county civil defense and emergency management agencies. Instructions for Hawai`i Island’s system are available by emailing civildefense@hawaiicounty.gov and requesting enrollment to the emergency notification system. Include your mobile phone number.
On June 30, Sprint Relay Hawai`i discontinued its emergency notification system that the company had been providing free of charge for six years. Relay Hawai`i was designed to provide Short Message Service/text messages on natural disasters and other emergencies to the deaf and hard of hearing community.
“Sprint Relay Hawai`i has been a terrific partner in providing warning of approaching hazards and emergencies, and we are grateful for the services it provided,” said Doug Mayne, administrator for Emergency Management. “Individuals are urged to update notice subscriptions with alternatives. Having a reliable way to get information on local dangers is crucial to making sure an emergency doesn’t turn into a disaster.”
Wireless Emergency Alerts are also available through the federal government for people with WEA-enabled phones. See ready.gov/alerts for more information.
On June 30, Sprint Relay Hawai`i discontinued its emergency notification system that the company had been providing free of charge for six years. Relay Hawai`i was designed to provide Short Message Service/text messages on natural disasters and other emergencies to the deaf and hard of hearing community.
“Sprint Relay Hawai`i has been a terrific partner in providing warning of approaching hazards and emergencies, and we are grateful for the services it provided,” said Doug Mayne, administrator for Emergency Management. “Individuals are urged to update notice subscriptions with alternatives. Having a reliable way to get information on local dangers is crucial to making sure an emergency doesn’t turn into a disaster.”
Wireless Emergency Alerts are also available through the federal government for people with WEA-enabled phones. See ready.gov/alerts for more information.
 |
| PATCH offers training classes at Pahala Preschool for early educators. |
PEOPLE ATTENTIVE TO CHILDREN, or PATCH, is currently holding training classes at Pahala Preschool. The Infant & Toddler Social Emotional Series is for early educators interested in their professional development and in continuous quality improvement. Classes are held Tuesdays and Fridays from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. through Tuesday, Aug. 5.
For more information and to register, call 322-3500.
 |
| Participants learn lauhala weaving tomorrow. NPS Photo by Jay Robinson |
KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK hosts the park’s 34th annual Cultural Festival this Saturday, July 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Ka`u Hiehie I Ka Makani, which means Ka`u Regal in the Gales, referring to the multi-directional winds that cool the land in Kahuku, is the theme of this year's festival.
Participants enjoy hula kahiko and music, watch skilled practitioners demonstrate their art, try their hand at Hawaiian crafts and taste traditional Hawaiian foods. Performers this year include Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning singer and `ukulele artist Diana Aki, known as the Songbird of Miloli`i, Kumu Hula Mamo Brown and Halau Ulumamo o Hilo Paliku, falsetto singer Kai Ho`opi`i, kupuna hula by Haunani Medeiros and more.
Call 985-6011 or email havo_interpretation@nps.gov for more information.
The Kahuku unit is the southernmost section of the park and is located on the mauka side of Hwy 11 at mile marker 70.5.
ULANA LAUHALA IS THE TOPIC tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants learn to weave a decorative star from leaves of the pandanus tree. Free; park entrance fees apply.
HAWAI`I FARMERS UNION UNITED’S KA`U chapter holds its next meeting on Saturday, July 12 at Ka`u Coffeehouse & Guesthouse in Na`alehu at 5 p.m.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
Ka`u Hiehie I Ka Makani, which means Ka`u Regal in the Gales, referring to the multi-directional winds that cool the land in Kahuku, is the theme of this year's festival.
Participants enjoy hula kahiko and music, watch skilled practitioners demonstrate their art, try their hand at Hawaiian crafts and taste traditional Hawaiian foods. Performers this year include Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning singer and `ukulele artist Diana Aki, known as the Songbird of Miloli`i, Kumu Hula Mamo Brown and Halau Ulumamo o Hilo Paliku, falsetto singer Kai Ho`opi`i, kupuna hula by Haunani Medeiros and more.
Call 985-6011 or email havo_interpretation@nps.gov for more information.
The Kahuku unit is the southernmost section of the park and is located on the mauka side of Hwy 11 at mile marker 70.5.
ULANA LAUHALA IS THE TOPIC tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants learn to weave a decorative star from leaves of the pandanus tree. Free; park entrance fees apply.
HAWAI`I FARMERS UNION UNITED’S KA`U chapter holds its next meeting on Saturday, July 12 at Ka`u Coffeehouse & Guesthouse in Na`alehu at 5 p.m.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
 |
| See kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf. Click at bottom right to turn pages. |
