Kau Web – Kau Hawaii Blog

The nonprofit Ocean View Community Association is seeking support in gathering gifts for distributing to our keiki come Christmas. They have organized this gift giving event every year for the past seven years, and last year 2,040 children were able to join in the celebration.

Any grants or gifts donated are tax deductible. Please see the attached letters for more information, or contact Ginny Galletes at (808) 217-5593 or Betsy Ramstad at (808) 939-7423.

Mahalo,

Office of Hawai‘i County Councilmember Brittany Smart
District 6 – Upper Puna, Ka’u, South Kona
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961-8536
hccdistrict6@gmail.com

Aloha,

• The deadline to submit testimony on Kahuku Villages Draft EIS may be extended until November 6, 2011, tentatively based on assuming the Kahuku Village planners submit the missing information. This update is based on information from the Office of Environmental Quality Control and the County’s Planning Department.

Mahalo,

Jenny Knippling

Council Aide

District 6 – Upper Puna, Ka’u, South Kona

Councilmember Brittany Smart

25 Aupuni Street

Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 961-8536

jknippling@co.hawaii.hi.us

Aloha Kakou!

As an amateur astronomer, I was very excited to hear about the new supernova, now named PTF11kly, which will soon visible in the night sky.  Visible supernovae don’t happen every day. In fact, there hasn’t been a supernova this close to Earth in over twenty years!

For the basics on PTf11kly, please follow the link below:
www.westhawaiitoday.com/sections/news/local-news/supernova-observation-lifetime.html

Type 1a supernovae like PTF11kly are created when a white dwarf star implodes. A white dwarf is a very small but very hot type of star that has a carbon-oxygen core. When a type 1a supernova is created, the white dwarf collapses with fuel still in its core. Very quickly, this remaining fuel is burned up and the outer layers are blasted away in a violent explosion that completely destroys the star. This is essentially the ‘death’ of the star. The star is then a supernova.

PTF11kly is located near the Pinwheel Galaxy, also known as M33. To catch a glimpse of this galaxy, follow the link below, or simply Google Image search ‘Pinwheel Galaxy’.

www.astropix.com/html/show_dig/m33_triangulum_galaxy.html

If you wish, you can find a starmap for your area, or create on online. This may help you find PTF11kly more easily. If you cannot get/create a starmap, pick up a copy of the Ka’u Calendar and use the starmap inside to find your way around the sky.

Here are a few more links about supernovae and PTF11kly:

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/triangulum_galaxy

www.universetoday.com/88447/shiny-and-new-supernova-spotted-in-nearby-galaxy

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/supernova

Until next time,

A hui hou!
*Ka`u Anamei*

Aloha,

Following up on the message below, the agenda for next Tuesday’s Ka’u CDP Steering Committee meeting is attached. The meeting starts at 5:30pm at the Pahala Community Center.

Note that the meeting will not include a discussion of the content of the CDP, which is still under development. There will be a project update, a short introduction to one of the new consultants, and a discussion of recent outreach at community events.

You can download the agenda here: http://www.kauweb.com/cdp/KauCDPSC.agenda.091311.pdf

Mahalo, Ron

From: Whitmore, Ron

Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 9:26 AM

To: ‘kau-cdp-announce@hawaiicountycdp.info’

Subject: Ka’u CDP Steering Committee: 9/13, 5:30, Pahala

Aloha,

A Ka’u Community Development Plan (CDP) Steering Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 13, at 5:30pm, at the Pahala Community Center.

Likely agenda items include: a project update; an introduction to staff from Chris Hart & Partners, which is helping to complete elements of the CDP; and a review of recent outreach activities. Since the draft CDP is not yet complete and ready for review, there will not be a discussion of potential CDP policies and strategies.

The agenda will be finalized by September 7, at which point I will distribute it by email and post it at http://www.kaucdp.info.

For more information about the Steering Committee, including its membership, roles, and materials from past meetings, visit that section of http://www.kaucdp.info.

For more information about the Ka’u CDP, go to http://www.kaucdp.info or contact Steering Committee Chair Leina’ala Enos (929-8641; lenos@qlcc.org), other Steering Committee members, Community Planning Assistant Nalani Parlin (217-6893, kaucdp@gmail.com), or me.

Mahalo, Ron Whitmore

Long Range Planner

Hawai’i County Planning Department

101 Pauahi, Suite 3 Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 961-8137

Fax: (808) 961-8742

rwhitmore@co.hawaii.hi.us

I finally heard back from the Hawaii State Historic Preservation Division. They have confirmed that the developers have submitted the draft Environmental Impact Study and the Archaeological Inventory Survey. I was told that people familiar with the area will be reviewing the documents soon and that the deadline for comments is September 21, 2011. So if you have any comments to make about this you need to get them in soon.

If everything looks good and there are not many negative comments we should see this land get re-zoned and work can start within a year or two.

Aloha Friends,
Here is information on a few upcoming workshops on the proposed building code changes:
County staff from the Building Department will explain and clarify proposed changes to the Hawai`i County Building Code at two workshops next month.

Bill 270, Draft 3, would change the Building Code by adopting the 2006 International Building Code (2006 IBC), along with a number of state and county amendments.

The county is required by state law to adopt a building code using model codes and standards, such as the 2006 IBC, no later than two years after the adoption of the state building code.  The state building code was adopted in 2010, and adoption of Bill 270 will bring the county into compliance with the state law.

The workshops will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at the West Hawai‘i Civic Center, Community Meeting Hale  in Kailua-Kona from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and on Wednesday Sept. 7 at the Aupuni Center Conference Room in Hilo from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Links:

To view a copy of Bill 270, Draft 3, go to http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/0/doc/756796/Page1.aspx

To view a copy of the current Hawaii County Code, Chapter 5, relating to building, go to http://co.hawaii.hi.us/countycode/chapter05.pdf

To view a free copy of the International Code go to http://www.iccsafe.org/Store/Pages/OverviewFreeCodes.aspx  and http://www.iccsafe.org/Store/Pages/FreeCodes.aspx
Mahalo,

Office of Hawai’i County Councilmember Brittany Smart
District 6 – Upper Puna, Ka’u, South Kona
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961-8536
hccdistrict6@gmail.com

Aloha Friends,

Here is some information on an upcoming Special Household Hazardous Waste Collection event from the Department of Environmental Management. Please read on for more information:

*If you would like to help spread the word about this event, feel free to print out a copy of the attached flyer (recycled used paper works great), and post on your neighborhood bulletin boards.

Mahalo,

Office of Hawai‘i County Councilmember Brittany Smart
District 6 – Upper Puna, Ka’u, South Kona
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961-8536
hccdistrict6@gmail.com

For Immediate Release: 8/23/2011
Honolulu, HI – The Hawaii Defense Foundation’s founding director and president, Christopher Baker, has filed a lawsuit against Honolulu Chief of Police Louis Kealoha, the Honolulu Police Department, the City and County of Honolulu, the State of Hawaii, and Governor Neil Abercrombie in connection with civil rights violations of the Second and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.

The complaint filed in the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii by attorneys Richard Holcomb, Alan Beck, and Kevin O’Grady alleges that Hawaii’s license to carry statute and various other firearm regulations are unconstitutional. State law mandates that citizens may be provided licenses to carry only in “exceptional circumstance” or “where a need or urgency has been sufficiently indicated,” all at the discretion of the county’s Chief of Police. The complaint asserts that this language violates the Second Amendment, which secures the right of all responsible, law-abiding citizens to bear arms for the purpose of self-defense. Additionally, the complaint also addresses the use of non-lethal tools for self-defense such as electric guns, which are banned in in Hawaii.
“The Second Amendment protects the right to self-defense. Everyday around the islands good people are robbed, assaulted, raped, or in the worst cases murdered. It’s simply a matter of physics, the Police can’t be everywhere to stop criminals from committing violent acts. We must be allowed to carry the tools that give us a chance to protect ourselves from harm,” says Chris Baker. “We want criminals to have to think about the consequences of attacking someone,” he continued, “but right now, nothing serves as a deterrent to them – the odds are in their favor.”
Hawaii Defense Foundation (www.TheHDF.org) is a domestic not-for-profit corporation based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Foundation serves the community by providing various services, such as: legal defense of civil rights, educational courses on firearm safety, self-defense training, and life saving techniques – such as first aid and CPR. The Foundation has many supporters and members across the State of Hawaii.

If you would like to show your support or are looking for additional information please contact the Foundation’s Secretary, Erica Castillo, at (808) 664-1827 or info(at)hawaiidefensefoundation.org.
 
A copy of the press release is here:
http://www.hawaiidefensefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Lawsuit-Press-Release.pdf
CV11-00513SOM-RLP

Aloha,

A Ka’u Community Development Plan (CDP) Steering Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 13, at 5:30pm, at the Pahala Community Center.

Likely agenda items include: a project update; an introduction to staff from Chris Hart & Partners, which is helping to complete elements of the CDP; and a review of recent outreach activities.  Since the draft CDP is not yet complete and ready for review, there will not be a discussion of potential CDP policies and strategies.

The agenda will be finalized by September 7, at which point I will distribute it by email and post it at www.kaucdp.info.

For more information about the Steering Committee, including its membership, roles, and materials from past meetings, visit that section of www.kaucdp.info.
For more information about the Ka’u CDP, go to www.kaucdp.info or contact Steering Committee Chair Leina’ala Enos (929-8641; lenos@qlcc.org), other Steering Committee members, Community Planning Assistant Nalani Parlin (217-6893, kaucdp@gmail.com), or me.
Mahalo,

Ron Whitmore
Long Range Planner
Hawai’i County Planning Department
101 Pauahi, Suite 3
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961-8137
Fax: (808) 961-8742
rwhitmore@co.hawaii.hi.us

Media Release

Contact:

Monica Adams, Director of Development and Regulatory Affairs

Bay Clinic, Inc.

224 Haili Street

Hilo, HI 96720

Phone: (808) 961-4080

Email: madams@bayclinic.org

July 22, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

O Ka’u Kakou Champions Fundraising Success for Bay Clinic, Inc.

Ka’u Family Fun Fest Raises $51K for Local Community Health Center

Na’alehu, HI – In a festive gathering of what can only be described as ohana, the families of O Ka’u Kakou and Bay Clinic, Inc. recently shared a meal to celebrate the first annual Ka’u Family Fun Fest held in June. The Ka’u-based community festival drew crowds from all over Hawai’i and raised over $51,000.  The funds will benefit the construction of a new Bay Clinic Ka’u Family Health Center building in Na’alehu.

Representatives from O Ka’u Kakou, Wayne Kawachi, President of the Board of Directors and Raylene Moses, Board Treasurer and Ka’u Family Fun Fest Race Chair, announced the final results of their fundraising efforts and presented the official check to Michael Gleason, Bay Clinic Board of Directors Chair.

“This is so much more than a gift to Bay Clinic,” stated Mike Gleason upon accepting the check. “This is a gift for Ka’u. For Hawai’i. For us all. This is the meaning of malama. We are so grateful.” He went on to say that the improved access to health care for the Ka’u community will benefit the entire Bay Clinic service area of East and South Hawai’i. The new clinic building will allow for double the staff and available patient visits in Ka’u.

Bay Clinic’s CEO Paul Strauss expressed his own gratitude to all members of the O Ka’u Kakou Board of Directors, including June Domondon, Nadine Ebert, Jeanette Howard, Carol Massey, Katherine Okamura, Fred Ramsdell, Scott Stabo, Myra Sumida and Walter Wong Yuen.  He also thanked additional members of the Ka’u Family Fun Fest planning committee for their efforts, including Monica Adams, Tanya Aynessazian, Melissa Corrao, Guy Enriques, Yvonne Gilbert, Dixie Kaetsu and John Replogle.

The Ka’u Family Fun Fest was held June 11, 2011 and included a Half Marathon, 10K and 5K races as well as tournaments, music, a silent and live auction featuring Mayor Billy Kenoi, and an entire day of healthy, family-friendly activities.  Staged at the Na’alehu Park in Ka’u, the event drew over 1,000 attendees including many international participants.

Bay Clinic is continuing to accept donations for the Ka’u Family Health Center building fund at www.bayclinic.org.  Founded in 1983 as a grass roots health center, Bay Clinic is now one of the largest nonprofit health care providers on Hawai’i Island with seven service sites providing primary care, mental health counseling, family planning, pediatric and prenatal care, dental services and community outreach for the districts of Puna, Hilo, and Ka’u.

Plans for the second annual Ka’u Family Fun Fest are already underway though a date has not yet been announced. The public is encouraged to contact the planning committee at kaufamilyfunfest@gmail.org for information on sponsorship and volunteer opportunities.

Thank you for your time and attention. 

Bay Clinic, Inc. welcomes requests for follow-up stories; please feel free to contact me for interview inquiries by replying to this message.

Aloha,

Sarah Ferreira

Aloha,

For immediate release:

District 6 Matters: Office of Aging
Councilmember Brittany Smart will be at various places in District 6 to meet with Hawai‘i Island seniors in August. She will be accompanied by the Director of the Executive Office of Aging at the State of Hawaii, Wes Lum, and Alan Parker, the Executive on Aging at the County of Hawaii’s Office of Aging. Councilmember Smart will be touring various senior facilities in District 6 with these two special guests to discuss with our aging constituents what challenges they face living in a rural community and how the local and state governments can help.

See below for the schedule of the meetings they will be at if you would like to attend:

Wed.  8/24 – 9:00AM: Na’alehu Community Center, Na’alehu

                        1:30PM: St. Benedicts Church (the Painted Church), S. Kona

Thurs.   8/25 – 9:30AM: The Cooper Center, Volcano

                        2:00PM: Pahala Senior Center, Pahala

Fri.       8/26 – 10:00AM: Mt. View Senior Center, Mt. View

For more information, please call Jenny at (808) 961-8536. Mahalo.

Jenny Knippling

Council Aide

District 6 – Upper Puna, Ka’u, South Kona

Councilmember Brittany Smart

25 Aupuni Street

Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 961-8536

jknippling@co.hawaii.hi.us

Aloha Friends,

Resolution 60-11 will be up for discussion during the Planning Committee meeting tomorrow (Wednesday, July 6th) at 11:00 AM. Please consider providing your public testimony either in Hilo at the Council Chambers or in Kona at the West Hawaii Civic Center (click here to read about the various ways to provide testimony to the Hawaii County Council). Let us all know how you feel about this resolution, which would delay Hawaii County Council action on any rezoning or general plan amendments in Ka’u until a Community Development Plan is completed and in place, or December 31, 2012, whichever comes first. If you would like more information on this resolution, please see the attached FAQ from the District 6 office.

JULY D6M MEETINGS: Redistricting of Hawai’i County*

• July 13, 7:00 PM – The Cooper Center (Volcano)
• July 20, 7:00 PM – Yano Hall (S. Kona)
• July 27, 7:00 PM – Na’alehu Community Center (Na’alehu)

Come to a District 6 Matters (D6M) meeting near you in July. This month we will be discussing the upcoming redistricting of Hawaii County. On-hand to help answer any questions or concerns will be Michael Udovich from the Office of the Corporation Council. Light refreshments will be served.

Mahalo,

Brittany Smart
Hawai‘i County Councilmember
District 6 – Upper Puna, Ka’u, South Kona
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961-8536
hccdistrict6@gmail.com

Not too long ago, I took my first trip down Road to the Sea. This is a long 4×4 road that leads from Ocean View/ Manuka area down to the coast.  It was well worth the forty five minute drive.

We visited two beaches that day.  They were both within walking distance from each other but were completely different.  One was mainly rocks, pebbles and smaller coral pieces.  The other was fine, green sand.  This beach was the larger of the two, and with all of the great sand it would have been great for swimming.  But the beach was at so much of a slant that the shore dropped off a few feet into the water.  And, because of a high surf advisory, we didn’t go swimming, anyway.  We sure got our feet wet, though. J

We found out later that a fork in the road we had seen about two thirds of the way down led to a larger swimming beach.  This fork was on the right; we had continued on straight.

We walked a little way down a trail leading from the cliff overlooking the sandy beach towards a white sand beach on the Pohue Bay side.  We followed the path almost to its end; it seemed to lead up the mountain, not to the other beach.  I saw on a map later that there was a fishing heiau (temple) up there. Too bad we didn’t follow that trail all the way to the end.  But it was getting late (not to mention the flies were coming out. Yikes!) so we headed back up the long bumpy road to town. Next time we go I hope to finish that trail.

Earlier this week we had planned to go down to Pohue Bay to go beach; but we heard from friends that people had been getting arrested for “trespassing” while passing someone’s property, and that you now have to have a gate card (price: around $300) to get down to the water. AS IF anyone has the right to charge for beach access.  I guess that trip will be postponed for awhile.

This last Saturday I spent down at Kalae again.  So, as a follow-up, I explored some new areas on the beachfront/tidepool area that I hadn’t seen yet, saw the Pu`u Ali`i burial site, and drove around on some of the numerous 4×4 roads. Had a very fun time counting waves from the shore but didn’t go out. South Point has a very strong current that flows non-stop down to Antarctica, and so the swimming is for very experienced swimmers only.

A new newspaper I would recommend reading is The South Point Messenger. Very informative, and has Hawaiian Sovereignty articles that are sorely missing in The Ka`u Calendar. It’s good to hear Ka`u voices in print.

Also: does anybody know if there are any Ki`i (petroglyphs) down Road to the Sea, and where? We couldn’t find any… perhaps down the right fork?  Comments welcome!

Here are some helpful links with information about Road to the Sea:

• www.bigislandadventureguide.com/kau.html

• www.hawaii-kau.com/catalog/products.php?Kaupuaa_Road_to_the_Sea&osCsid=b87421b325a759d80dd3602b010d11e8

Until next time,

A Hui Hou!

*Ka`u Anamei*

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

District 6 Matters: Redistricting of Hawai‘i County

Wednesday, July 13, 7:00 PM – The Cooper Center (Volcano)
Wednesday, July 20, 7:00 PM – Yano Hall (S. Kona)
Wednesday, July 27, 7:00 PM – Na’alehu Community Center (Na’alehu)

Come to an open community meeting in your area to discuss the upcoming redistricting for Hawaii County with Councilmember Brittany Smart. On-hand to help answer any questions or concerns will be Michael Udovic, the attorney from the Office of the Corporation Counsel assigned to the Redistricting Commission.

Light refreshments will be served.

Mahalo,

Jenny Knippling
Council Aide
District 6 – Upper Puna, Ka’u, South Kona
Councilmember Brittany Smart
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 961-8536
jknippling@co.hawaii.hi.us

Aloha Friends,

This month there will be more District 6 Matters (D6M) community meetings to gain public input and opinions on a couple different subjects that affect Ka‘u.

District 6 Matters & Resolution 60-11:
Thursday, June 9th at 7:00 PM at the Na’alehu Community Center
This is a public meeting to discuss proposed Resolution 60-11, which delays Hawai‘i County Council action on any rezoning or general plan amendments in Ka‘u until a Community Development Plan (CDP) is completed and in place, or December 31, 2012, whichever comes first. Questions and statements are encouraged, light refreshments will be served.

District 6 Matters & PATH:
Wednesday, June 8th at 7:00 PM: Ocean View Community Association
Wednesday, June 29th at 7:00 PM: Cooper Center (Volcano)
Councilmember Brittany Smart will host the District 6 Matters (D6M) meetings with special guest Executive Director of the People’s Advocacy for Trails Hawaii (PATH) Laura Dierenfield.

Ms. Dierenfield will be discussing Complete Streets, the Bike Plan Implementation Plan as well as having open dialog on pedestrian and bicycle safety and needed infrastructures. Direct questions and comments are welcome on any subject dealing with pedestrian and bicyclist issues. Light refreshments will be served.

Aloha,

Brittany Smart
Hawai’i County Councilmember
District 6 – Upper Puna, Ka’u, South Kona
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961-8536
hccdistrict6@gmail.com

NEWS RELEASE

June 1, 2011

Contact Person: Chris Chin-Chance, Recycling Specialist, at 961-8554

Free Residential Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event Information

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection events will occur between 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., as follows:

· Saturday, June 4, at the Hilo Solid Waste Transfer Station.

· Saturday, June 11, at the Kailua-Kona (Kealakehe) Solid Waste Transfer Station.

These events are for household generated and self-hauled waste only. No business or farm wastes and NO electronic waste will be accepted.

The County of Hawai‘i Department of Environmental Management holds these collection events so residents can conveniently dispose of acceptable HHW in a manner that protects both public health and the environment. Some acceptable HHW are automotive fluids, used batteries, fluorescent lights and pesticides. For a more complete list of acceptable or unacceptable HHW, please visit our website www.hawaiizerowaste.org. The website includes other useful information on solid waste diversion and recycling.

If you are unable to attend the events described above, the next HHW Collection Events will be on September 3, 2011 in Wai‘?hinu (tentative), December 3, in Hilo and December 10, in Kailua-Kona.

Please direct your comments or questions regarding these HHW Collection Events to Chris Chin-Chance, Recycling Specialist with the Department of Environmental Management at 961-8554 or email to recycle3@co.hawaii.hi.us. Mahalo for your k?kua.

Aloha,

The June 2011 Ka`u CDP project update is attached. Highlights include:

NEW CONSULTANTS CONTRACTED: As of last week, the County officially
engaged three consultants to address remaining gaps in the draft CDP.
Project funds left over from the original consultant contract (not
additional funding) were used.

The Hawai`i Alliance for Community Based Economic Development (HACBED)
has been a sub-consultant for the CDP since 2009 and will continue its
work on the economic development and capacity building elements of the
CDP. HACBED (www.hacbed.org) is a statewide nonprofit that provides
community planning, capacity building, and asset building services.

PBR Hawai`i & Associates was also a project sub-consultant and prepared
the Ka`u Community Profile for the CDP. PBR will focus on strategies to
develop and preserve Ka`u’s “green infrastructure” and to repair its
“nonconforming” subdivisions. PBR Hawai`i (www.pbrhawaii.com) has been
a full-service planning firm in Hawai`i for 40 years and has an office
in Hilo.

Chris Hart & Partners will develop strategies to revitalize Punalu`u in
character with rural Ka`u and craft policies and actions for new towns
and resort nodes in Ka`u relative to community values, vision, and
objectives. Chris Hart & Partners (www.chpmaui.com) is based on Maui
and has extensive experience with both private and rural community
planning, including the Lana`i and Moloka`i community plans.

OTHER RELATED TOPICS:

Resolution 60-11: Councilmember Brittany Smart has introduced Resolution
60-11, Delaying Council Action on Certain Land Use Approvals, and she is
holding a “District 6 Matters” meeting to discuss it with the community
on June 9, at 7:00pm, at the Na`alehu Community Center.

Dunk Your Favorite Planner: Help raise money for the Bay Clinic’s new
Na`alehu facility at the Family Fun Fest on Saturday, June 11. I’m
scheduled to be in the dunking booth at 1:00pm, so please come and take
your best shot!

For more information about the Ka`u CDP, go to www.kaucdp.info or
contact Steering Committee Chair Leina`ala Enos (929-8641), other
Steering Committee members, Community Planning Assistant Nalani Parlin
(217-6893), or me.

Mahalo,

Ron Whitmore
Long Range Planner
Hawai`i County Planning Department
101 Pauahi, Suite 3
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961-8137
Fax: (808) 961-8742
rwhitmore@co.hawaii.hi.us

Aloha kakou,
 
Please join us at Na’alehu Park next Saturday, June 11th for the First Annual Ka’u Family Fun Fest!
 
What you’ll have to look forward to is a fun-filled day of free live music & entertainment with races and tournaments going on all day to raise funds for a new Bay Clinic Family Health Center in Na’alehu.  The volunteer group O Ka’u Kakou will be hosting a Half Marathon, 10k & 5k Races all starting at 7am,  At 9am there will be tournaments in Archery, Basketball and Portuguese Horse Shoe… just to name a few.
 
For the keiki, we’ll have a 100 Yard Dash, 3-Legged Races, even Keiki Archery! There’s going to be a health expo, food vendors, jumping castle, rock wall climbing, face painting & even a dunk tank!
 
Please help us spread the word – Late Registration begins TOMORROW June 1st.
 
Registration & info at www.race360.com/15811.  Even more info and updates on Facebook and Twitter!

Please feel free to call, text, email, tweet, carrier pigeon… whatevah! It won’t be as much fun without YOU there, so please REGISTER TODAY!
 
Thank you kindly,
Sarah
 
Sarah Ferreira
Paradise Public Relations
Mobile Office: (808) 895-5872

Contact:
Monica Adams
Bay Clinic, Inc.
Director of Development, Public Relations and Marketing
224 Haili Street
Hilo, HI 96720
Phone: (808) 961-4080
Email: madams@bayclinic.org

May 27, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kau Volunteers Share Final Appeal for Community Support

Pahala, HI – The volunteer planning committee of the Ka’u Family Fun Fest is asking for community support to help meet their fundraising goal of $50,000 by June 11, 2011.

Led by Race Director Raylene Moses, volunteers from O Ka’u Kakou and Bay Clinic have been working tirelessly to raise funds for a new community health center in Ka’u. $2.6 million dollars have already been raised toward Bay Clinic’s Ka’u Family Health Center construction fund. An additional $500,000 is needed to complete the project expected to begin in late 2011.

“We have received a generous donation of $15,000 from an anonymous donor,” stated event volunteer and Bay Clinic Board Treasurer Dixie Kaetsu. “This is a challenge donation, meaning we will not receive all $15,000 unless we are able to raise a matching amount by race day, June 11th.” Ms. Kaetsu added that all sponsorships, registration fees, cash donations and in-kind contributions toward the race, silent or live auction will qualify for the matching challenge.

Online registration and event details are available at race360.com/15811. Donations can be made while registering or through Bay Clinic’s secure PayPal donation portal at http://bayclinic.org/donate_full.asp. Donations may also be mailed to: O Kau Kakou, PO Box 365, Pahala, HI 96777.

The first annual Ka’u Family Fun Fest, touted as “The Southernmost Goodwill Games in the USA”, hopes to draw crowds of thousands to fill the fundraising gap. This family-centered festival on June 11th will offer countless activities, games, auctions, races and tournaments with 100% of the proceeds going toward the new health center.

Event information and updates can be found at okaukakou.com, bayclinic.org, on Facebook (Kau Family Fun Fest) and Twitter (@KauFamFunFest). Contact Race Director Raylene Moses at (808) 265-8251 or kaufamilyfunfest@gmail.com for more information.

Bay Clinic’s Ka’u staff currently operates out of a more than 70 year-old plantation home poorly equipped for medical purposes. The new plantation-style building will include facilities for medical, dental, behavioral health and social support services. The staff currently serve 5,000 patient visits per year. The new facility should double the staff and available visits, vastly increasing the much-needed health care access for the uninsured and medically underserved families in the southernmost region of the Big Island.

Founded in 1983 as a grass roots health center, Bay Clinic is now one of the largest nonprofit health care providers on the Big Island with seven service sites providing primary care, mental health counseling, family planning, pediatric and prenatal care, dental services and community outreach for the districts of Puna, Hilo, and Ka’u.

This last weekend, Ka’u celabrated locally grown Ka’u coffee at the 3rd annual Ka’u Coffee Festival in Pahala.

Ka’u's coffee purveyors presented their finest products to the public with coffee sampling, and also participated in the cupping competition, taking home awards and prizes.

Several of the present coffee growers had recently won international recognition, and were presented with a certificate of appreciation by Mayor Kenoi himself.

The music was AMAZING, with Cyril Pahinui playing for two local halau (hula schools); LoriLei’s Hula Studio and Halau Hula O Leionalani. The keiki were adorable as they danced to He Mele no Kauhinilele, a noho (sitting) hula about jumping grasshoppers.

There were plate lunch and bento, as well as doughnuts and other little treats that went well with coffee.

Plus, there was the Coffee Recipe Contest, where for five dollars you could sample all of the entries. The samples were judged and the winners took home prizes.

There were plenty of farm tours ( $15 dollars per person, though) and somewhere somebody gave a poi pounding demonstration. I couldn’t find out where it was.

Then the Kahumoku ‘ohana took the stage. It was incredible to see them all on stage together. Later on in the evening I met both Moses and Keoki Kahumoku, and spent some time talking with them. Both are extremely nice, and very easy to talk to.

The festival closed with formal thanks to sponsors and the performance of One Journey, a Ka’u High School Band that recently won the Brown Bags to Stardom music competition over in Honolulu. Their performance was throughly enjoyed by the younger generation.

It was wonderful to see all of the local talent; from the coffee to the music to the food. It was obvious to see that all of Ka’u came together for the fun.

I had a great time and am already looking forward to next year’s festival.

To find out more about Ka’u coffee, hawaiian music, and the festival, please check out the following links:

www.kaucoffeefest.com

www.kaucoffeecoop.com

www.cyrilpahinui.com

www.keokikahumoku.com

www.mele.com

Until next time,

A hui hou!

*Ka’u Anamei*

And the winner is.......*The Ka'u Coffee Mill*