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Sunday, March 17, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs March 17, 2024

A native fern called 'Ama'u is plant of the month. Illustration by Joan Yoshioka

LĀ'AU LETTERS, NATIVE PLANTS OF KAʻŪ:  'Ama'u (Sadleria Cyatheoides) is plant of the month for March. Author Jodie Rosam and illustrator Joan Yoshioka seek to encourage making new plant friends and to reunite with others:
    Huli ka lau o ka ʻamaʻu i uka, nui ka wai o kahawai. When the leaves of the ʻamaʻu turn toward the upland, it is a sign of a flood. ʻŌlelo Noʻeau #1137 (Mary Kawena Pukui).
    Description: ʻAmaʻu is an endemic fern in the Blechnaceae or chain fern family. There are actually six species in this endemic genus, divided into two groups: the Cyatheoides group (medium to large and even tree ferns found on recent lava flows and in forests), and the Squarrosa group (small ferns found on dark and wet river banks). ʻAmaʻu are easy to distinguish from their fern friend hapuʻu with just a little bit of practice. The new fronds emerge in brilliant shades of bright red and orange, turning gold and then green with maturity. ʻAmaʻu fronds are also less divided than hapuʻu (in other words, ʻamaʻu fronds are more simple). Another name for ʻamaʻu is maʻumaʻu. That name should sound familiar…you surely have heard of Halemaʻumaʻu, which is surrounded by beautiful, healthy ʻamaʻu ferns.
'Ama'u, the native fern, is steeped in the history of Hawai'i.
Photo from state Department of Land & Natural Resources

   
    Uses: ʻAmaʻu have many uses. For agriculture, fronds were used as a mulch for dry-land kalo gardens and as a planting layer in dry areas (much like putting straw down in your home garden to cut back on evaporation).          
    The fronds make a red dye for kapa and the leaf stems can be used for kapa beating or sizing.      Fronds were used for thatching with or in addition to lau hala and pili. The starchy centers were occasionally eaten or even used for animal feed, and when dried and ground, ʻamaʻu can be made into a drink similar to coffee or tea. ʻAmaʻu can also be used medicinally in lāʻau lapaʻau. ʻAmaʻu is also a kinolau (form) that Kamapuaʻa (the son of Hina and Kahikiula) transformed into as he attempted to flee from the fire of Pele at Kīlauea. Yet another name for ʻamaʻu is puaʻa ʻehuʻehu (which translates into red pig), referring to the relationship between ʻamaʻu and Kamapuaʻa.
    Habitat: ʻAmaʻu can be found in low (around 150’) to mid elevations (around 5,000’) in dry, mesic, and wet environments on all of the main Hawaiian Islands except Niʻihau and Kahoʻolawe. ʻAmaʻu is among one of the first plants to colonize new lava flows, essentially building ecosystems and creating microhabitat sites for other species (along with its friends, ʻōhiʻa and kupukupu). 
    In Kaʻū, you can see ʻamaʻu colonizing new lava flows and interspersed among other early successional species throughout the district. Growing and Purchasing: Unfortunately, ʻamaʻu is not seen as a common landscaping plant, despite its hardiness and beauty. On top of that, it is uncommon to see it for sale at big box stores and some local nurseries. But if you really want ʻamaʻu in your space, please ask me for ideas! ʻAmaʻu can handle extreme environments, but are a bit happier with a little protection from the midday sun. One non-negotiable for ʻamaʻu is that it requires well-drained soils, so find an area you can amend with plenty of cinder so it does not hold water. Your ʻamaʻu will require a bit of supplemental watering to get it started, but once it is happy, you will find that it doesn’t need much from you, other than love, admiration, and kindness.

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Menehune by Dietrich Varez, the print
available through Volcano Art Center.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY BRINGS UP STORIES OF THE IRISH COMING TO HAWAI'I. The Irish arrived in Hawai'i as early as 1794 and represent about 4.3 percent of the current population. The first two governors following statehood were Irish-Americans William F. Quinn (1959-62) and John A. Burns (1962-74). Maurice J. Sullivan, who founded Foodland, the state’s first big supermarket, came from Clare and grew his business into 100 retail stores in Hawai'i. A former Honolulu police chief, Lee D. Donohue, was Irish-Korean. Another Irish name well known in Hawai'i comes from McCandless Ranch. Actor Jason Mamoa is Hawaiian-Irish.
   In common between Hawai'i and Ireland is not only being an island but also being the home of the little people, the legendary menehune in Hawai'i and the leprechauns in Ireland. A description of the Menehune giclée by Dietrich Varez at Volcano Art Center says, "Menehune is the name given to the mysterious little people of Hawaiian legend and folklore. Like leprechauns, they are seldom seen and do most of their miraculous work in the dark of night."

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AN ALZHEIMER'S & OTHER DEMENTIA WORKSHOP is this Monday, March 18 at 2:30 p.m. at Discovery Harbour Community Center. "Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia can be one of life's greatest challenges. Early stages are often not recognized properly," says a statement from the sponsors of the free workshop.
    Leader of the event is Elena de Ru, an international speaker on this subject. She is based out of Brussels in Belgium and studied at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands where she received her Master's degree in Social Studies and a unique and prestigious award for social skills.
    She has taught in several countries around the world including the Kyiv Christian University in Ukraine and currently does workshops for the largest health insurance company in Belgium. In addition to being an expert guest speaker, she is a caregiver coach.
Elena de Ru (right) with her late husband, whom she 
cared for at home for 15 years with his dementia, will give a 
workshop on Monday at Discovery Harbour.
    De Ru developed much of her understanding of the subject of caregiving to dementia patients firsthand.        
    She and her husband learned to live well with his dementia, at home, for almost 15 years. Key to that successful approach was found through acceptance, music and humor.
    The statement says that "Knowing when to bring in professional help is difficult, as is finding the strength and means to postpone admitting a person living with Alzheimer's to a full-time facility. Working through the issues surrounding this challenging condition is Elena's specialty. Elena's workshop will define dementia in general, offer ideas and suggestions for improving interaction and communication with the patient. It is possible to cherish and even enjoy your time with someone who is in decline but finding comfort as a caregiver and creating community are vital to surviving and thriving through this trial.
    De Ru wrote a book with Elane Cross, titled, Courage for the Caregiver, Ministering to Those with Alzheimer's and Other Dementia. Copies will be made available this Monday during the class.
    This workshop is sponsored by Purpose Ministries, which made the following statement, "Although not a typical aspect of our non-profit organization, the opportunity for an event on dementia and Alzheimer's became available which we wholeheartedly wanted to support. You can find us online at www.purposehi.com."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.




Saturday, March 16, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs March 16, 2024

Raising fighting cocks is common in Hawai'i, called cultural by some, cruel by others. It is the
subject of Bill 1980 at the Hawai'i Legislature that would classify chicken fighting, associated gambling and
possessing chicken fighting paraphernalia as felonies. Photo from Humane Society of U.S.

RAISING FIGHTING CHICKENS AND FIGHTING THEM WOULD BE ELEVATED FROM MISDEMEANORS TO FELONIES with up to five years in prison or a $10,000 fine, under proposed legislation making its way through the 2024 Hawai'i Legislature. The measure would also make it a felony to allow minors to attend chicken fights. The state Office of the Public Defender opposes the bill, while the state Attorney General, state Department of Law Enforcement, animal rights groups and Hawai'i Humane Society support it.
    State House member Jeanne Kapela, who represents all of  Kaʻū, and Rep. Richard Onishi, who represents Volcano into Hilo, were both introducers of a version of the measure back in 2022.
    The latest House Bill 1980 separates chicken fighting from other animal cruelty law. It would also create separate second degree felonies for gambling on chicken fights, paying to go to the fights and possessing chicken fighting paraphernalia, with $1,000 fine per first violation or up to 30 days in jail, or both. A second violation would net a $2,000 fine or up to a year in prison, or both.

Equipping a fighting chicken with spurs would be a felony
 under proposed state law. Photo from Humane Society of the U.S.
   Devices include slashers, gaffs, knifes and muffs designed to be attached in place of or to the natural spur of the birds.
   The legislation defines a fight as "a bird or birds pitted against another bird or birds, with the intent that the encounter will result in injury to one or more of the birds." The legislation would mean "Each violation of this section, including each bird and each device used in violation of this section, shall constitute a separate offense."
    The narrative for the bill says: "The legislature finds that illegal animal fighting is directly associated with other criminal activities such as illegal gambling, illegal firearms possession, illegal drug distribution, endangerment of minors, and human violence, as evidenced by a double homicide that occurred at an illegal bird fighting operation in Maili, O'ahu, in April of 2023, and this was but one of a number of cases of human violence occurring at an illegal animal fight over the years. Further, Hawaiʻi is one of only eight states that lacks a felony penalty for animal fights between birds and has no existing penalty for attending a fight or allowing a minor to attend a fight.
    "Psychologists and criminologists have long determined that children exposed to human or animal violence, or who engage in animal cruelty, are more likely to escalate to violence against humans, threatening the overall community and public safety. In addition, birds used for fighting purposes are mutilated in preparation for a fight by having various body parts cut off and their natural spurs either removed or sharpened, in preparation for a fight, in which even the winner of the fight often dies. Birds subject to such mutilations suffer unnecessary pain and are more prone to illness and disease, including zoonotic diseases that can be spread to humans and to other avian species including native birds and birds at agricultural facilities."
Photo of fighting chicken from Humane Society of U.S.

   Opposition to the legislation includes testimony from state Public Defender Jon. N. Kenaga who writes: "Cockfighting in Hawai‘i is a deeply engrained part of the community that traces its roots to immigrants who came to work on sugar and pineapple plantations more than a century ago. What to do about it has been a recurring discussion among generations of local lawmakers. This bill is a reaction to the terrible violence that erupted from a cockfight on O'ahu last spring. The violence is indeed abhorrent and troubling, but it was made possible because the event itself was driven underground by making the cockfight a crime in the first place.
    "Criminalizing cockfighting—like possessing fireworks, using drugs, gambling, or even riding in the back of a pickup truck—does little to stop the activity itself. Making it against the law removes the activity from the normal regulations and protections of the law. That attracts more unlawful activity.
    "If it was tolerated and lawfully permitted, the presence of police officers could ensure safety at these events. Making it a more severe criminal offense will only drive it further underground, make the events even more clandestine, and will only make it more conducive to unwanted criminal activity.
    "Parts of the bill are also unconstitutional. Long ago, the City and County of Honolulu criminalized going to cockfights and the Hawai‘i Supreme Court held that unconstitutional because “[a]n ordinance or statute proscribing presence, whether at a cockfight, a gambling game, or a house of prostitution, is too vague to satisfy the requirements of due process.” State v. Abellano, 50 Haw. 384, 386, 441 P.2d 333, 334 (1968). While the Legislature should be and remain committed to ending violence, disrupting organized crime, and ensuring safety in the community, criminalizing a deeply engrained part of local culture has not worked in the past and is not likely to work in the future. This is not an ideal way to reduce crime."
    See more testimonies, which are mostly in support of making chicken fighting a felony, at https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2024/Testimony/HB1980_TESTIMONY_JHA_02-21-24_.PDF

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The Plateau of Makanau rising in the distance from the viewpoint of Heiau Punalu'u Nui, also known as Heiau Kāne'ele'ele, adjacent to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach and Bay. Photo from Kai Markell

Kai Markel
PUNALU'U IS A TOPIC FROM KAI MARKELL, COMPLIANCE ENFORCEMENT MANAGER FOR OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS. He is former Director of Native Rights, Land & Culture at OHA, former Director of Burial Sites Program at state Department of Land & Natural Resources and former Investigator at state Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs. He posted this look back into Punalu'u history this week with accompanying photos of Punalu'u:    

    Punalu'u Nui is a po'o kanaka class of temple, or luakini, with human sacrificial use by the Ali'i Nui of Hawai'i Island, the Chiefess Keakealaniwahine, in the 1600s.Also used in the time of Kamehameha, its last recorded use as a luakini was by Liholiho, Kamehameha II, after Kamehameha passed as part of the required 'Aha Rituals of the new young leader.
    Makanau, which also has a heiau on its plateau, is said to be the starting point for the Beloved Ka'ū Chief, Keouakū'ahu'ula, on his somber fateful journey across the island to Heiau Pu'ukoholā, where he was sacrificed at that luakini, to dedicate its construction, and activate it.

    This was to fulfill the prophecies rendered by Kaua'i Kahuna and Kaula, Kapoukahi, regarding the acts needed to ensure the unification of the Hawaiian Islands.
    The prophecy Kapoukahi is said to have uttered was "war shall cease on Hawai`i when one shall come and shall be laid above on the altar (lele) of Pu`ukoholā, the House of God."
    The death of Kamehameha's cousin came in 1791 when Keouakū`ahu`ula was placed on the altar in Heiau Pu`ukoholā, and the whole of Hawai`i eventually became Kamehamehas, as prophesied by Kapoukahi.
    Archaeologists will tell you that so much has been destroyed from previous recorded tsunamis and from rampant bulldozing for previous development projects in the area.
    What lies beneath, however, is where the Mana resides.
    When the old, now long gone, wharf warehouse was built next to the heiau, they discovered the lua, or "body pit", where the mōhai kanaka, or human sacrifices were deposited, much like the lua discovered at the heiau luakini, Ke'ekū, in Keauhou, in the early 2000s. That pit, or ana, cave, is still there.
    The fresh water springs, which erupt on the sands, and in the near-shore waters, is where Ka Wai Ola a Kāne, the Living Waters of Kāne, meet the ocean waters of his brother, Kanaloa, Creating Life, Thriving Limu, Fish Fingerlings, Estuaries, Healing Springs, and all kinds of Mauli Ola Life Sustaining Mana.
    A former Sugar Cane Plantation Luna, or Boss, at C. Brewer, in his 80s at the time, shared with me about twenty-years ago, when we were battling the Sea Mountain Development proposal there in 2006, where the location of a massive, as of yet, undisturbed Ali'i Burial Cave resides.
    The workers lifted up a massive pāhoehoe slab with a backhoe, by accident, and it revealed a subsurface lavatube. The Luna was immediately called to the site and the workers went in, and soon came out shook up, and reported a large canoe in the cave, with bones, feathered garments, large standing kahili, or feathered standards, and other artifacts or nā mea kapu.
    The Luna had them immediately lower and replace the pāhoehoe slab, cover it with earth, and they revised their project around the burial cave.
    What lies beneath...
    All of Hawai'i should be concerned about what is happening at Punalu'u, and the entire Lāhui on all islands, given its history in our National Identity and the Mana which resides there.


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Friday, March 15, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs March 15, 2024


HAWAI'I COFFEE ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCED ITS 29TH ANNUAL Conference, Trade Show, and 15th Statewide Cupping Competition update on Friday. Kaʻū Coffee growers have been big winners in the past and can submit their entries between May 6 and May 31 under new rules expected by April 1.
    The Conference will return to Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu. Special room rates start at $209. The HCA statement says the committee is meeting weekly to discuss lecture and schedule details. "As soon as they are finalized in the coming weeks, we will let you all know."
    HCA's Workshop Series will return to the Conference with coffee education. Past workshops have included Coffee Cupping, Roasting, Water for Coffee, Grafting, and Post Harvest Processing. The announcement says, "We know that there are many talented educators and leaders in our local community and broader networks. If you have, or someone you know has, a topic for a hands-on, engaging and educational workshops, we are interested to learn about it!" See  https://hawaiicoffeeassoc.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=903dbacfc5f15daf97277cc28&id=4e4586b81d&e=2a99e2fced for more details on the Workshop Series and a questionnaire for those proposing to present. There are a few slots available and the conference committee will review proposals the first week of April.
    Interested in volunteering? HCA is looking for community volunteers for the Conference and the Workshop Series. A two-hour volunteer commitment nets access to daily lectures and updates in the main hall and Trade Show. Prospective volunteers can email events@hawaiicoffeeassoc.org

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HONOLULU CIVIL BEAT COVERED THE PUNALU'U DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL this week, with a lead saying, "A battle is brewing on the Big Island over a proposed development in Punalu'u, a stretch of black sand beach and ponds along the rugged Kaʻū coastline that's popular among locals, tourists, fishermen and many others." 
    Writer Paula Dobbyn reports on a written statement from Mayor Mitch Roth who "said his administration was pleased to see the community actively engaging and being heard about the proposed development." It quotes the Mayor saying, "The process is designed to give all of us a voice in
Punalu'u's exposed rocky shoreline. Photo by Bob Martin

transparently shaping our community’s future.” 
    The story also notes that with the recommendation of the county planning director, the Planning Commission is "considering granting a Special Management Area permit to Black Sand Beach, a limited liability company that wants to develop 147 of the 434 acres it owns at Punalu'u.
    "The company's permit application for its Punalu'u Village entails building 225 residential and vacation rentals, a retail and wellness center, a fish market and seafood restaurant and rehabilitating an existing golf course, among other features. The company estimates the construction cost at between $200 million and $350 million."
     The story reports that Planning Director Zendo Kern recommends approval, "without making the developers prepare an updated environmental impact statement or environmental assessment because the project did not meet the criteria set out in state law for such a requirement." The last EIS came out in 1988. One was drafted in 2008 but not completed.
     The story states that hundreds protested the project on the March 7 hearing day. It points to signs that were held by citizens outside the planing commission hearing, "like Keep Kaʻū Country" and "Protect our Land and Natural Resources," and says testifiers "shared concerns over an outdated wastewater treatment plant in Punalu'u, increased population and traffic, an influx of tourists, lack of a disaster mitigation plan in an area vulnerable to king tides and tsunamis, and the potential disruption of culturally important areas and ancient burial grounds."
    The story quotes Kaʻū residents Nohea Ka'awa, Nora Kawachi, Dane Shibuya, and Elsa Dedman, along with cultural practitioner Jonah Maikahoku I and developer consultant Daryn Arai.
    See the entire Civil Beat story at https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/03/hundreds-of-hawaii-island-residents-protest-proposed-housing-project-in-punaluu/?fbclid=IwAR18STe0twfnmchLB12gMz9CJaVb9NG2SmUsMbYAXAC5T2i-NnyHiB6uw1E

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O KAʻŪ KAKOU SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE with the deadline to apply this April 30. A statement from OKK says, "Our children are our future and to secure that future, many will need a competitive edge in our changing, fast-paced world. For those students who qualify, OKK is offering scholarships to Ka'ū student undergraduates currently enrolled in secondary education institutions." Students will each receive a $500 scholarship per semester.
    Applicants must be residents of Ka'ū District and graduating seniors in either public, private or home-school and headed to higher education, or they must be full-time undergraduates already attending two or four year colleges. Download scholarship form at https://www.okaukakou.org/_files/ugd/c5d967_18c03f8ca28f41c99c10d6962c31a028.pdf.
    The application includes the requirement to answer the questions, "What are your future plans to use your degree to improve life in Ka'ū?" and another asking the applicant to state intentions and goals to "give back to the community in the decade following your graduation from college or trade school."
For answer to questions, email okaukakou.or.scholarship@gmail.com.
Soto No Michi Aikido is open for 
new students at Pahala Hongwanji.

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SOTO NO MICHI AIKIDO MARTIAL ARTS & MOVEMENT CLASSES are open to new students at Pāhala Hongwanji on Thursdays and Sundays from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Students are adults and keiki and must be at least eight years of age. Sensei Gabriel Cuevas leads the classes. For more information and answers to questions call him at 206-281-8821.

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A CAR FIRE SHUT DOWN HWY 11 for a short period early Friday evening near mile marker 65, Waiohinu at Konohiki Road. Hwy 11 closed about 6 p.m. with traffic detoured down South Point Road and Kamaoa. Hawai'i Police and Fire Departments responded to multiple 911 calls. The car was a Toyota Camry LE.


Toyota Camry on fire this evening near Waiohinu. Photo by Bob Martin

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HULA SHOWCASE AND DINNER AT VOLCANO ART CENTER'S Nia'ulani Campus is this Saturday, March 16 with two seatings, 4:20 p.m. and 6:25 p.m. The presentation by Hula Halau Ke 'Olu Makani O Mauna Loa is directed by Kumu Hula Meleana Manuel. The dinner is by Mexi-Cali Street Tacos following each show. Tickets are $55 via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hula-in-the-moonlight-tickets-843134386647.



To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.