Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, May 23, 2015

Gov. David Ige has signed a bill creating an annual Sakada Day, Dec. 20. Pahala Filipino Club carries on ethnic traditions in Ka`u.
Photo by Julia Neal

HURRICANE SEASON BEGINS JUNE 1. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center is currently watching activity in the East Pacific, where tropical storms often develop and move toward the Central Pacific.

Central Pacific Hurricane Center is keeping an eye on two
disturbances in the Eastern Pacific. Map from CPHC

Shower activity associated with an area of low pressure located  about 1,650 miles southeast of the Big Island has  become better organized over the past 24 hours. Some additional  development is possible during the next day or two, and a tropical  depression could form. After that time,  development is not expected due to the proximity of a disturbance  to its northeast and north.
An area of low pressure may form early next week several hundred  miles south of the coast of Mexico. Environmental conditions are  expected to be conducive for subsequent slow development of the  system.
Hurricane preparedness information is available on Hawai`i State Civil Defense’s website at scd.hawaii.gov.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

FUNDING IS AVAILABLE TO FARMERS, ranchers and food entrepreneurs to develop new product lines through USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grant program.

“The Value Added Producers Grant program not only enables farmers and ranchers with opportunities to increase their income from their farming activities, it also increases jobs and expands the food choices for Hawaii’s families” said Chris Kanazawa, state Director for USDA Rural Development. “Hawai`i’s agriculture community has demonstrated a long history of innovation, and the VAPG program provides an excellent resource to perpetuate this tradition.”

USDA plans to make approximately $30 million in grants available. Applications will be accepted through July 8. More information on how to apply can be found on page 26528 of the May 8 Federal Register (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-05-08/pdf/2015-10440.pdf).
VAPG grants can be used to develop new product lines from raw agricultural products or additional uses for already developed product lines. Military veteran, socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers and ranchers; operators of small and medium-sized family farms and ranches; farmer and rancher cooperatives; and applicants that propose mid-tier value chain projects are given special priority in applying for VAPGs. Additional priority is given to group applicants who seek funding for projects that “best contribute” to creating or increasing marketing opportunities for these type of operators.
For more information, contact Business Programs Specialist Lori Nekoba at 933-8312 or lori.nekoba@hi.usda.gov.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

One of Pahala Filipino Club's many activities is caroling during Christmas.
Photo by Julia Neal

SAKADA DAY IN HAWAI`I IS DEC. 20 of each year. Gov. David Ige yesterday held a signing ceremony for HB604, recognizing the Filipino community’s contribution to the history, economy, culture and heritage of Hawai`i.

The sakadas, or Filipino plantation workers, were the first Filipinos to arrive in Honolulu aboard the S.S. Doric more than 100 years ago on December 20, 1906, to work as contract laborers in the plantation industry. About 120,000 sakadas arrived in Hawai`i between 1906 and 1934. These sakadas paved the way for the legacy that would be built by the Filipino community in Hawai`i and worldwide.

“Like many moments in history, the arrival of the first 15 sakadas in Hawai`i occurred little noticed by most in Hawai`i at the time,” said Rep. John Mizuno. “However, after viewing their struggles and sacrifices, we are honored to recognize the first migration of Filipinos in Hawai`i and the sakadas that followed as we appreciate their historic importance and significance to shaping Hawai`i. Today, Filipinos have achieved significant success worldwide, however, in moving forward it is important to remember the great pioneers who paved the way which allowed for such success to occur. After reviewing the legacy of the sakada we truly begin to understand all that it represents and means to all of us in the state.”
Today, Filipinos make up the second largest ethnic group in the state, with Filipinos in leadership positions in business, government, community service organizations and the professions.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Sen. Mazie Hirono

U.S. SEN. MAZIE HIRONO, THE FIRST Asian American woman elected to the U.S. Senate, introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Sen. Brian Schatz is one of several co-sponsors.

“Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a celebration of the contributions and progress made by the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in Hawai`i and across the country. The AAPI community is the fastest growing minority population in the United States and will have an increasing presence and stronger voice in national debates for years to come,” Hirono said. “As an immigrant who came to the United States from Japan with my mother at a young age, it’s an honor to lead a bipartisan group of my colleagues in recognizing and celebrating the culture and stories of AAPI families that have enriched our nation.”
May is officially designated as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by section 102 of title 36, United States Code. The observance originally began as Asian Pacific American Heritage Week, which was established through a joint Congressional resolution in 1978. The month of May was chosen due to two important milestones in AAPI history: May 7, 1843, when the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States, and May 10, 1869, when the first transcontinental railroad was completed with substantial contributions from Chinese immigrant workers.

To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Chris Jacobsen, at right teaches non-credit ag classes this summer. Photo from HCC

HAWAI`I COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS OFFERING a series of non-credit agriculture classes this summer that cover topics like sustainable farming practices, pest and disease control, nursery management, irrigation, how to manage a farm business and more.

The classes will be held at the Hawai`i CC campus in Hilo, in Captain Cook and at the University of Hawai`i experimental agriculture farm in Pana`ewa. Hawai`i CC Agriculture instructor Chris Jacobsen will teach the courses.
The following are class subjects, times and fees:

Sustainable Production Practices, Thursday, 6-8 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., May 21-June 6. Cost: $59;
Home and Community Food Security, Friday, June 5 and Friday, July 24. Cost for each one-day class is $59;
Farm Management, Thursday, 6-8 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., June 11-27. Cost: $59;
Integrated Pest Management, Tuesday, 6-8 p.m. and Thursday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., June 30–July 16. Cost: $59;
Irrigation Repair and Theory, Thursday, 6-8 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., July 23-Aug.8. Cost: $59;
Horticultural Operations, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., July 27–Aug. 13. Cost: $67.

The classes are part of the C3T-1 program that Hawai`i CC and other University of Hawai`i Community Colleges are participating in.
C3T Hawai`i is a $24.6 million grant awarded to the University of Hawai`i Community Colleges through the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration. The grant will fuel the development of education and training curriculum and student academic/career coaching, which targets certificate and degree programs specific to the needs of agriculture, energy and health industries. These industry-focused, employer-driven programs are designed to increase college completion rates and provide job opportunities to the C3T participants.
The non-credit courses funded by the grant aim to provide training leading to jobs in agriculture for the unemployed, professional improvement for those already employed in agriculture, and instruction for those who want to work in the agriculture field.
For more information on how to register for these classes and about the course contents, call Linda Burnham Larish, C3T-1 Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator at Hawai`i CC, 934-2687 or email llarish@hawaii.edu.

To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI & FRIENDS 2010 Potluck Reunion and a concurrent gathering at the old Sasaki Store in Pahala are topics of a video being shown on Na Leo O Hawai`i Community Television. Carese Galiza, formerly of Pahala and now living in Pensacola, FL, produced the video that showcases Ka`u’s talented musicians, including Ernest Kalani’s Back to the Fifties group, Calvin Ponce’s Hands of Time and senior hula dancers from the former Mahealani Halau under the direction of the late Kumu Hula Edna Aguil. The video was dedicated to Aguil for her more than 50 years of community service.

Air times are today at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesday at 7 p.m.

To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S Memorial Day Ceremony is Monday at 3 p.m. on KMC’s Front Lawn in Hawai‘`i Volcanoes National Park. Keynote speaker is Rod Sueoka, of the Office of Veterans’ Services.

KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8371 for additional information.

MEMORIAL DAY BUFFET IS AVAILABLE from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Menu includes Hawaiian kalua pork sandwich, local-style fried chicken, chili con carne, biscuits and honey, buttered corn, steamed rice, dessert and a beverage. Adult $18; child $9.
Call 967-8356 for more information. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests.

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