Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Taiko srumming  and Bon dancing are in season around the island and Ka`u Bon dancers will be traveling to Buddhist temples to participate. Taiko drummers joined in the 2009 O Bon Dance at Na`alehu Hongwanji. Photo by Peter Anderson

FREE HEALTH EXAMS AND CARE began today at 8 a.m. on the Pahala School campus and also at Ocean View Community Center. An Army Reserve medical care team is providing physical, eye and dental exams and care at no cost to anyone who goes to either location, first come, first serve. By 11 a.m. in Pahala local residents were waiting, in particular, for optometry exams. Dental exams could be available tomorrow.

Army reserve physicians, dentists and optometrists give  free checkups and care in Ka`u through June 12.  Photo from U.S.Army

      Tropic Care 2013 involves 75 military reservists providing health care services free of charge. Patients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis and are advised that there may be long wait times. Clinics are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. except for the last day, Wednesday, June 12, when they close at noon. Locations are Pahala School Campus and Ocean View Community Center.
      In addition to medical services, residents living off the grid and using a generator for power will have access to service members specializing in mechanics, who will work on any systems that need attention.
      For more information about Tropic Care, contact Arends at 701-566-1932.

HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY comes to Ka`u tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Pahala Community Center for public comment on draft Five-Year Action Plans and the company’s Integrated Resource Planning, tasked with meeting future energy needs. According to the utility, themes include reducing electric bills, working for a clean energy future, modernizing the grid and fairness to all customers.
      The Resource Plans are required to ensure affordable electric rates, maintain service reliability, and accommodate expected increasing proportions of variable and/or intermittent generation resources. According to the Public Utilities Commission, integrated resource planning is for safe and reliable utility service at a reasonable cost. Draft planning documents can be read at
www.irpie.com, the website of the PUC’s independent representative facilitating and monitoring the process.

S02 LEVELS CAN BE HIGH even with blue skies and wispy clouds. With a bright sunny day, dawning in Pahala, there were runny noses and itchy eyes as the SO2 level created an Orange alert beginning at 5:45 a.m. but was back to a healthy Green status by 8:15 a.m. Orange means the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups and the recommendation from the state Department of Health is: "To avoid outdoor activities that cause heavy breathing or breathing through the mouth." For people experiencing health effects, the recommendation is that "If you experience breathing difficulties, such as chest tightness or wheezing, stop activities, use a rescue inhaler and find a place to sit down and rest." For healthy people potential health effects are not expected, "however actions to reduce exposure to vog may be useful." The simple closing of windows until the alert passes helps keep the air clean indoors. Turning on a fan can also be helpful. See http://hiso2index.info and click on Pahala and Ocean View for Ka`u levels of SO2, a history of the days levels and more information.

Hurricane Flossie pushed up against South Point at Kalae but never climbed ashore.

HURRICANE MAKANI IS an exercise for Civil Defense and all those signed up for Civil Defense alerts throughout the islands are receiving email and text alerts. This morning’s mock message - not a real hurricane- said that "Category 4 Makani is nearing landfall on the Big Island of Hawai’i ....Hurricane Hunter Aircraft are conduction what will be their final flight through Makani before the crew and plane must be grounded for safety. Satellite and aircraft data suggest that Makani may not be done strengthening."
     The Civil Defense exercise plots mock storm Makani tracking west-northwest all along the chain of islands. Civil Defense agencies on all islands use the pretend storm to practice their drills. The closest a hurricane came to Ka`u in recent years was Hurricane Flossie, which sat off South Point for several days and never came ashore in 2007. Ka`u Hospital, Pahala Plantation Cottages, the gas station in Na`alehu, Pahala Library and others boarded up their windows.

KA`U AND VOLCANO LOCATIONS are featured in the latest edition of Expression Gold, the Magazine for American Express card members. The photo feature includes the managers suite, living room, art and quilts at Pahala Plantation House, Ka`u Coffee Mill coffee and Trini Marques with her Ka`u Coffee Farm. The article cover Kilauea Lodge and Volcano Art Center as well as Volcano Art Center and Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The article was coordinated by former Pahala and now Hilo resident Kaori Miitani. The 60-page magazine is mailed to all American Express Gold Card holders in Japan.

RAISING FUNDS FOR FRIENDS OF VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK and promoting Ka`u and Volcano businesses and the arts converge at the 13th Annual Friends' 4th of July Silent Auction at Cooper Center. Donations of goods and services, including meals at restaurants, B&Bs and vacation rental stays, arts, crafts, Ka`u Coffee, locally grown teas, photography, jewelry, massage gift certificates note cards and more are welcome to help raise money for the non-profit organization that supports the national park with education, exploration and service. The silent auction coincides with the annual Volcano Fourth of July Parade, which ends at Cooper Center. Contact Ab Valencia at 985-7373 or admin@fhvnp.org to make a donation or volunteer to help at the event.

INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE IN NA`ALEHU is taking applicants for the Saturday, June 29 event. Individuals and groups who would like to participate in the parade call Debra McIntosh 929-9872. Those wanting to volunteer with the parade set up call Lee McIntosh at 929-9872. The parade, which was saved by the McIntosh family when it was abandoned four years ago, is under the umbrella of the non-profit community organization `O Ka`u Kakou. Debra McIntosh said that the parade will start at Na`alehu School and end at Na`alehu Hongwanji Mission, a reverse of the parade direction form earlier years. The reason for the change in direction is that that there is more room for the floats, riders and walkers to organize at the beginning of the parade at the elementary school, McIntosh said.

Parade walkers, riders and floats can sign up for Independence Day in Na`alehu. Photo by Julia Neal

KA `OHANA O HONU`APO’s Fathers Day event on Sunday, June 6 is looking for contestants for its Bar-B-Que pork contest. First prize is $100. The afternoon, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., is called Pork in the Park and includes musicians on stage, samples of pork for the voting for a Fan Favorite, shaved ice on sale and a shady tent to enjoy Honu`apo Park on Fathers Day. For more on the contest and the celebration, call Lehua Lopez-Mau at 929-9891.
     Ka ‘Ohana O Honu‘apo’s mission, as stated on www.honuapopark.com is: “To restore, care for and protect the natural and cultural resources within the Honu‘apo area. Utilizing the values of malama ‘aina (care for the land), kupono (honesty and integrity), and kuleana (duty and responsibility), we will work in community partnerships to preserve this area for future generations.”

OBON SEASON IS ON and while no bon dances are planned this year in Ka`u, dancers from the district are expected to visit the temples around the island for the dance in the round, Japanese string and wind instruments, taiko drums, ethnic foods, and honoring ancestors during harvest season. Here is the schedule:

Saturday, June 8 - Keauhou Shopping Center at 6 p.m. Call 323-2993.

Saturday, June 15 - Honomu Henjoji Mission at 7 p.m. Call 963-6308.

Saturday, June 22 - Papaikou Hongwanji Mission at 7 p.m. Call 964-1640.

Saturday, June 29 - Honomu Hongwanji Mission at 7 p.m. Call 963-6032.

Friday and Saturday, July 5 and 6 - Puna Hongwanji Mission at 7 p.m. Call 966-9981.

Saturday, July 6 - Kohala Hongwanji Mission at 7 p.m. Call 775-7232.

Friday and Saturday, July 12 and 13 - Hilo Meishoin Mission at 7:30 p.m. Call 935-6996.

Saturday, July 13 - Daifukuji Soto Mission in Honalo in Kona. Call 322-3524.

Saturday, July 13 - Paauilo Hongwanji Mission, at 7 p.m. Call 776-1369.

Friday and Saturday, July 19 and 20 - Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin at 8 p.m. Call 961-6677.

Bon Dancers shown here from a past dance at Na`alehu Hongwanji will join in festivities around the island beginning this weekend. Photo by Peter Anderson

Saturday, July 20 - Honoka`a Hongwanji Mission at 7 p.m. Call 775-7232.

Saturday, July 27 - Hilo Hongwanji Mission, 7:30p.m. Call 935-8331.

Saturday, July 27 - Kona Hongwanji Mission, 7 p.m. Call 323-2993

Saturday, July 27 - Papa`aloa Hongwanji Mission at 6 p.m. Call 962-6340.

Saturday, Aug. 3 - Kurtistown Jodo Mission at 8 p.m. Call 966-9777.

Saturday, Aug. 3 - Taishoji Soto Mission at 8 p.m. Call 935-8407.

Saturday, Aug. 10 - Hamakua Jodo Mission at 8 p.m. Call 775-0965.

Saturday, Aug. 10 - Higashi Hongwanji Mission at 8 p.m. Call 935-8968.

Saturday, Aug. 17 - Hakalau Jodo Mission at 8 p.m. Call 963-6110.

Saturday, Aug. 17 - Kamuela Hongwanji Mission at 7 p.m. Call 885-4481.

Saturday, Aug. 24 - Pahoa YBA Kaikan at 8 p.m. Call 966-9981.

Saturday, Aug. 31 - Honohina Hongwanji Mission in Ninole at 7 p.m. Call 963-6032.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT WWW.PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND WWW.KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.