Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, May 30, 2015

SMALL COMMUNITY, STRONG BONDS AND TALENT have taken Ka`u High School’s 2015 Class through graduation and into a future of colleges, work and the military. 

      Speaker after speaker during last night’s ceremonies for the 50 graduates talked about the lifelong friendships developed at the tiny school, the family and faculty support and the appreciation of growing up in a special place called Ka`u.
      Kehaulani Ke, senior class president, will enter the Air Force to become a mechanic and pilot. “We are a small class, but we get things done,” she said, pointing to Ka`u High’s state titles and athlete awards and scholarships in volleyball, basketball, eight-man football, track and other sports.
      Denisha Navarro, student body president, talked about the closely knit class, students with their own qualities who came together over the years for service projects, such as raising money to buy books for the elementary school. She shared her personal journey of gaining more confidence as a public speaker and realizing the value of stepping up to ask questions. Navarro will attend Pierce College in Oregon on a basketball scholarship and study kinesiology to become an athletic trainer. She also earned a Ka`u Chamber of Commerce scholarship.

      Jennifer Tabios, valedictorian, will attend St. John’s University in New York City. She listed the many clichés that often come with graduation speeches that could seem trite but true. She talked about being a product of the past who can change with the future. She advised: “Procrastination is not your friend. You are a work in progress. Your parents are your friends. The only one who can hold you back is you.” She urged everyone to grow and change.
      Tabios noted that “the great thing about Ka`u is that we are small, but so many are talented.”
      She will head to New York with a St. DePaul Scholarship, a Citizenship Award Scholarship, St. John’s University Grant, Ka`u Chamber of Commerce Scholarship and a Hugh I. Carey Community Grant. She also earned a scholarship in the Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant 2015.
      Keynote speaker Derek Kurisu, founder of the Mountain Apple brand of local foods under KTA grocery stores, emphasized the importance of buying local and touted 430 local suppliers.
      Kurisu pointed to business leaders in Ka`u who have helped to develop the local economy, including Connie Koi with the Any Kine Bread innovation from Punalu`u Bake Shop that can be used as buns or rolls. He mentioned the Souza family with Na`alehu Dairy joining the Mountain Apple brand. He praised famous fish and meat cutters “Scottie and Magic Mike.”
      Kurisu, who grew up on a sugar plantation, advised the Class of 2015, “Go where there is no path, and leave a trail.”
      Ka`u High School Principal Sharon Beck said the class of 2015 is diverse but shows a sense of community. She said the mural on the school’s band room, designed and painted by artist Kathleen Kam and students, depicts the rich diversity. She commended Salutatorian Kaweni Ibarra for his leadership on the project. Ibarra will attend Sacramento State University, with scholarships from Foodland and Ka`u Chamber of Commerce.
      Beck also noted the ongoing training for students by Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

Student body President Denisha Navarro earned a basketball scholarship. Photo by Julia Neal

      The principal reported that ten graduates will go to Hawai`i Community College, four to other colleges in the state, five to colleges on the mainland and four to the military. More than $150,000 in scholarships will help them. Cameron Enriques earned a men’s volleyball scholarship from Briar Cliff University. Mike Tamayo earned a Hawa`'i Community College tuition waiver. Lanni Ah Yee earned an Arthur Jackman Scholarship.

      The graduation ceremony marked the last to be held in the historic 1930s Ka`u High Gym. A new gym that will accommodate more than 1,000 is expected to be completed by graduation 2016.
      For 2015, Class Song is The Right Thing, by Kolohe Kai. Class Colors are mint and coral. Class Flower is Bird of Paradise.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

NEW HOPE FOR THE RETURN OF DIRECT FLIGHTS BETWEEN JAPAN AND KONA is on the horizon. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will enter into negotiations with Japan’s Narita International Airport and nine countries for U.S. preclearance at 10 airports. The action could result in Tokyo flights returning to Kona International Airport. They shut down in 2010.
      Through the preclearance program immigration, customs and agriculture inspections can be completed before departure from the originating country, allowing passengers to avoid further processing or delays at domestic airports.
      “This is a significant step forward for Hawai`i’s tourism industry, which is the single largest component of the state’s economy,” said Gov. David Ige. Japan is Hawai`i’s biggest international market, accounting for about 18 percent of international travelers to Hawai`i, which brings in about $1.5 billion a year to the state’s economy.
      “I would like to thank Hawai`i’s congressional delegation and the Hawai`i Tourism Authority for their work to expand preclearance to Japan’s Narita International Airport,” Ige said. Preclearance has been a top priority for my administration, and I’m happy to see that it is moving forward. It would provide our valued Japanese visitors with a more pleasant arrival experience by alleviating congestion at the Honolulu International Airport, the state’s only international airport and currently the country’s fourth busiest international port of entry. Easing access will encourage travel to the neighbor islands and repeat visits to our beautiful state,” Ige said.

      “The fact that the United States will go forward in working to expand preclearance to Japan’s Narita International Airport is a good news for Hawaii`’s tourism industry, the economies of our state and nation and visitors from Japan who are eager to visit Hawai`i,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono. “Japan is one of our closest allies, and our countries have so much to offer one another. Travel between our two nations is just one way we can continue to strengthen our relationship. Tourism is our state’s number one industry, and anything we can do to promote travel to Hawai`i is a step toward strengthening our economy and creating jobs.”

      “We’ve been pushing for preclearance for two years, and it has gone from pie in the sky to reality,” said Sen. Brian Schatz. “This is the first step toward making it a lot easier for Japanese visitors to come to Hawai`i. Although work remains to be done, this also has enormous implications in terms of our efforts in establishing direct flights from Japan to Kona.”

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

FEEDBACK ON THE KA`U DRAFT Community Development Plan is due Monday. The purpose of CDPs is to implement the broad goals within the General Plan on a regional basis and translate the broad General Plan statements to specific actions. CDPs are the forum for community input into coordinating the delivery of government services to the community.
      Feedback forms are available at kaucdp.info. Copies of the draft are also on hand at local libraries and community centers.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

PARTICIPANTS LEARN ABOUT THE VITAL ROLE of `ohi`a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the `ohi`a lehua tree and its flower on an easy one-mile walk tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free.

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