Losalio, Ballo, Silva Take First in Talent Show The Kaʻū High & Middle School Talent Be, singing and playing electric guitar. show brought some 30 students to the stage on The Mandingos, comprised of Dillin Ballo and March 20, with Aaron Losalio taking first place Cameron Silva, took first in the group division. with his ʻukulele solo rendition of the Beatles The first place group and first place solo artist song, While My Guitar Gently Weeps. each won $100, second place $75 and third place The second place solo winner was Justin $50 from Kaʻū Music Workshops. All winners won Ramos, who played acoustic guitar and sang a scholarship to the Daniel Ho songwriting work- Hey There Delilah, made famous by the band shop to be held April 2-4 at Pāhala Plantation House Plain White Ts. in preparation for the Kaʻū Coffee Festival April 24- The third place solo winner was Rebecca 26. First Place Group The Mandigos with Dillin Ballo and Cameron Silva Zandenberg, who had been attending Kaʻū High First Place Soloist Robert Domingos and the Kaʻū School of the School for only a week. She performed Blessed Aaron Losalio Talent Show, pg. 7 Volume 7, Number 6 The Good News of Ka‘ū, Hawaiʻi April, 2009 Enriques Wants Stimulus Money for Shelter-Gym County Council member Guy En- for the building that could also include a said the shelter-gym would not only serve as well as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods riques flew to Washington, D.C. in March certified kitchen to serve the shelter and the community when it is completed, but and other disasters. On his trip to Wash- with his campaign to build a shelter that community activities. its construction could help Kaʻū with ington, D.C. Enriques took along a sat- would also serve as a multi-purpose gym He said he is working to get the plan employment during these difficult times. ellite photo showing Hurricane Flossie in Pāhala. Enriques said he is hoping for “shovel ready” to qualify it for stimulus The gym would be designed as a cer- sitting offshore at South Point in 2007 $18 to $20 million in “stimulus” funding money from the federal government. He tified Civil Defense shelter for vog events when forecasters predicted a direct and very destructive hit on Kaʻū. Fortunate- ly, Flossie fizzled out as she spun around Miss Kaʻū Coffee to be Crowned April 24 just south of the island. Two college students and one Kaʻū Enriques said he met with Sen. Dan- High School student will vie for the title iel Inouye who told him of a deep con- of Miss Kaʻū Coffee on Friday, April 24. nection with Kaʻū, the senator saying he The first ever Miss Kaʻū Coffee beauty gave his first high school commencement pageant will be held at Kaʻū High School address at Pāhala. Gym in Pāhala at 6 p.m. Inouye joked that half the Pāhala The contest will consist of swimsuit, graduating class was in the band so they evening gown, talent, and interview com- had to run back and forth from playing petition. Tickets to view the pageant are music to their seats to listen to him. In- being sold by contestants for $7 for adults ouye supports the shelter-gym for Kaʻū, and $3.50 for those 11 and under. Enriques said. Enriques said his meetings Miss Kaʻū Coffee will receive a $1000 with Sen. Dan Akaka and Rep. Mazie Hi- scholarship for her education. The second rono also drew support for building the and third place finishers will also receive shelter-gym. scholarships. All contestants will receive The County Council and Mayor Billy a tiara along with gifts from sponsors. Kenoi are also supportive and State Sen. The youngest contestant is Joyce Russell Kokubun and Rep. Bob Herkes Ibasan, 15, a Kaʻū High freshman who have it high on their Capital Improve- Miss Kaʻū Coffee contestants (l-r) Joyce Ibasan, Jolynn Cuison and Sacha Malepe will lives in Pāhala. She is the daughter of Joc- ment Project funding list, Enriques said. compete for the title on opening night of the first-ever Kaʻū Coffee Festival. The pageant elyn Tamayo and Orlando Ibasan. Born will be held Friday, April 24 at Kaʻū High School Gym in Pāhala. The Kaʻū Coffee Festi- According to the council member, in Dagupan City in the Philippines, she val Ho`olaulea will be held Saturday, April 25 at Pāhala Community Center with enter- the gym would help bring Kaʻū athletics st has spent most of her life in Kaʻū. She tainment, a Kaʻū Coffee Recipe Contest, games for kids, food crafts for sale, and displays into the 21 century, with more than one lists basketball, volleyball, and music as on coffee, and community organizations. Farm Tours will provide the opportunity to visit playing court so that students could have her hobbies. She recently competed in the coffee fields and learn more about the growing of Kaʻū Coffee. The Kaʻū Coffee Col- Enriques Stimulus, pg. 5 Miss Ka‘u Coffee, pg. 3 lege will be held for farmers, processors and roasters on Sunday, April 26. See pg. 8. More Kaʻū Coffees Go to Alan Wong Famous Hawaiian chef and restaurant owner asked to receive coffee from Bull and Jamie Kail- Alan Wong took an interest in two more Kaʻū iawa and also from Kehau’s Coffee Farm, oper- Coffees at a coffee cupping session sponsored by ated by the Efren Abelerra family. Wong is already Kaʻū Farm & Ranch and the Kaʻū Coffee Festival purchasing Kaʻū Coffee from Rusty’s Hawaiian, ****ECRWSS Postal Boxholder Will & Grace Rising Sun, Aroma Farms, Kaʻū on March 7 at Pāhala Plantation House. Also in this issue: P5 Kahuku * P6 After tasting numerous Kaʻū Coffees, Wong Wong Ka‘u Coffee, pg. 8 Nā‘ālehu * P7 Pāhala * P8 Business* P9 Event Calendar * P11 Sports * P12 Calling for Kaʻū Coffee Photos & Stories Sports Calendar * P16 Religion * P17 Darlene Vierra and Liz Kulukaimaka have a were very successful in bringing together paniolo Keeping Healthy * P18 Recipe * P19 Ag new mission, locating historic photos, maps, sto- families of Kaʻū, creating a display on ranching * P20 Church Guide * P20-21 Volcano * ries and items associated with the founding of the P22 Star Map * P23 Classifieds *Inserts: life, which they take on the road from Kahuku to Nā‘ālehu Market, Ka‘ū Community Kaʻū Coffee industry. Pāhala. Development Plan, Recycle Hawai‘i During 2008, the Year of the Paniolo, the two Ka‘u Coffee History, pg. 8 Punalu‘u Ahupua‘a featured in the film Punalu‘u Experience to be broadcast on PBS. Photos by Peter Anderson Award-winning Punaluʻu Experience on PBS April 23 The television premiere of the award- Hawaiʻi Presents, which showcases inde- deserving of one of our most esteemed winning film The Punaluʻu Experience pendent documentaries and special event awards. The film was among the very best will air on PBS Hawaiʻi on Thursday, programming about Hawaiʻi by Hawaiʻi of the several hundreds of films submitted April 23 at 8:30 p.m., with an encore pre- producers. from over 30 countries around the world,” sentation at 11 p.m. Produced by Kaʻū On March 8, the film received the said Jenner Costello, festival manager. Preservation and made possible by a grant Silver Lei Award for Excellence in Film- The DVD of the film is available to from the Hawaiʻi Community Founda- making at the 2009 Honolulu Internation- the public through Kaʻū Preservation, a tion: Pikake Fund, the film will be pre- al Film Festival. “The film demonstrated non-profit 501c3 organization working Pele Hanoa at Punalu‘u sented as part of the ongoing series PBS superior and standout filmmaking and is Punalu‘u Experience, pg. 4 College Course in Hawaiian Myth, Legends to be Held at Punaluʻu Hawai‘i Community College Hawai- ational residency in Kaʻū will have their with HCC’s Hawaiian Lifestyles Lawaiʻa ian Lifestyles program will offer a four- tuition waived. Students must register for (fisherman) program, is from Puna but she credit course entitled Ehukai o Punaluʻu both the three-credit Hawaiian studies says she has ties and ʻohana that married 2009 Summerbridge in Kaʻū from June course Hawaiian Myths and Legends and into Kaʻū families. “I’m very humbled 12 to 19. The eight-day class will focus the one-credit Hawaiian Arts and Crafts and excited to be in Kaʻū, It’s so different on the myths and legends of Hawaiʻi, with course to engage in the Summerbridge from Puna,” she said, adding that she also specific interest to Kaʻū’s stories, and be program. Ten spots are open to graduating lived in Pāhala for a time during her youth held at Punaluʻu from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. high school seniors or students who will and attended school there. As an adult, each day with one overnight trip to Puna. be seniors next school year to help them she spent a lot of time at Punaluʻu helping To qualify, potential participants must at- get a head start with college credits. The with Kukulu Kumuhana, an educational HCC instructor Kaleialoha Kamamahu tend an initial orientation on Thursday, myths and legends class can be applied to youth program held each summer. and Kawehi Ngyuen help Ka‘ū residents to April 23 at 5 p.m. at Nāʻālehu Commu- the humanities requirement for a general Kaleimamahu chose to have the class register for June college credit classes on nity Center. education degree. The class is intended at Punaluʻu to get outside of the idea of a myths and legends to be held at Punalu‘u.