Poke Nūhou - Newsbriefs

By Ka Wai Ola Loa Staff

The waters of Hi'ilawe fall and nourish verdant Waipi'o. Signs to be unveiled on July 24 explain the history and significance of the valley. - Photo courtesy Hui 'Āina O Waipi'o.

Waipi'o Valley signage to be dedicated

On July 24, Hui 'Āina O Waipi'o invites the public to the dedication of five signs in English and Hawaiian at the Waipi'o Valley Lookout at 10 a.m. Text for the signs was created by students and kumu of Kanu O Ka 'Āina school in Waimea who have been involved in a water study for the past five years. The signs explain the cultural and historic significance of the valley, past and current land use, and Waipi'o's importance as a cultural kīpuka. Hui 'Āina O Waipi'o is a coalition of many supporters, including the Bishop Museum, County of Hawai'i, Friends of the Future, Hālau O Waipi'o, Kamehameha Schools, Kanu O Ka 'Āina, Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center, and Waipi'o Circle. For more information, contact Ku'ulei Badua at (808) 775-9894.

Online registration open for the International Waikīkī Hula Conference

Registration is open online for the 3rd Annual International Waikīkī Hula Conference, November 13-15 at the Hawai'i Convention Center in Kālia, O'ahu. The 2009 conference includes three days of workshops and seminars offered by over 40 kumu hula and cultural experts, the opportunity to perform on various stages in Waikīkī, lunch meal coupons, a closing concert on Waikīkī Beach, a mall of Hawaiian products, and a certificate of completion. Previous conferences have attracted hula aficionados of all levels of abilities from states across the U.S. and countries around the world. Registration is $350, $250 kama'āina. Class selection is available online in English and in Japanese. For questions about the event, email support@waikikihulaconference.com or call the Waikīkī Improvement Association office at 923-4151. Registration is open until October 31, 2009 at waikikihulaconference.com.

DLNR seeks comment for Moloka'i Forest Reserve

The public has until July 22 to provide comment on a draft management plan for Moloka'i Forest Reserve, the only forest reserve on Moloka'i.

The 45-page draft management plan includes a brief history of the forest reserve, a complete record of land transactions and boundary changes over time, a description of cultural and natural resources, and an account of infrastructure and any intended use of the area. The plan, which is prepared by the Forestry and Wildlife Division of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, is part of the division's ongoing effort to develop and update management plans for all forest reserves in the state.

The plan will serve to prioritize management objectives, solicit requests for proposals or bids to implement plan objectives, support the division's efforts to secure funding for plan objectives, and help prepare regulatory-compliance documents required to carry out management actions outlined in the plan. The plan must be reviewed by the division's Maui branch and administrative staff, partner agencies and the public. The Fisheries and Wildlife administrator must approve the plan, with final approval by the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

Moloka'i Forest Reserve was established in 1912 across portions of western and central Moloka'i to protect and permanently maintain mountain forests to ensure continued, regular stream flow. Today, the Forestry and Wildlife Division manages more than 11,5000 acres of public land in the forest reserve, with the main goals of maintaining a healthy watershed, protecting forest resources from fire, insects and disease, and maintaining habitat for threatened, endangered and rare plants and animals. The management plan pertains only to these public lands. The draft management plan is available on the DLNR Forestry and Wildlife Division web site at hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw, in the "Announcements" section. To request the information in another format, call Jacquie Robson at (808) 587-4166.

Comments on the draft management plan should be emailed to Jacqueline.D.Robson@hawaii.gov.

Bottom fishing season closure

Fishing season is closed through Aug. 31 for Deep 7 bottomfish species in state marine waters surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said. The closure affects commercial and noncommercial fishing of species including 'ula'ula (onaga), 'ōpakapaka, 'ehu, kalekale, 'ūkīkiki (gindai), lehi and hāpu'upu'u. The closure began July 6, when the total allowable catch of 241,000 pounds was estimated to be harvested by the fishery. The state closure complements a federal Deep 7 fishing closure, which also began July 6. To view maps of the closed state marine waters, both season Deep 7 closure and bottomfish-restricted fishing areas, visit hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/regs/ch94rev3.pdf. For more information, call the DLNR Aquatic Resources Division office nearest you.

Kaumakaiwa Kanaka'ole will perform at Waikīkī Aquarium's Ke Kani O Ke Kai on July 16. - Photo courtesy Becker Communication

Kaumakaiwa Kanaka'ole at
Waikīkī Aquarium July 16

Multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano award winner Kaumakaiwa Kanaka'ole continues Waikīkī Aquarium's Ke Kani O Ke Kai concert series on Thursday, July 16. Accompanied by a passionate love of his culture, Kanaka'ole brings together ancient tradition and contemporary sound. The evening concert on the lawn will also feature food from Rainbow Drive-In. Get there early for optimal seating – bring your own low-lying chair or mat. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the concert will begin at 7 p.m. Aquarium galleries and exhibits will remain open throughout the evening. Ke Kani O Ke Kai will continue through the summer with Maunalua on July 30 and Willie K on August 13. $25 for adults, $10 for keiki 7 to 12, manuahi for children 6 and under. For tickets, call the Honolulu Box Office at (808) 550-8457 or purchase online honoluluboxoffice.com.

Hawaiian writers in radio spotlight

Noted Native Hawaiians will be featured in an upcoming broadcast of Aloha Shorts, the locally produced radio program from Hawai'i Public Radio and Bamboo Ridge Press. Fiction and non-fiction works of Puanani Burgess, Mahealani Ing and Christy Passion will be read before a live studio audience by local actors Ginger Gohier, Charles Timtim and others. The program will be taped for HPR broadcast at a later date. This marks the first time that Aloha Shorts is devoting an entire show to writing that captures various native perspectives. Accompanying the evening's readings is musician and composer Jon Osorio, who is also a Hawaiian studies professor at University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and author of Dismembering Lāhui: A History of the Hawaiian Nation to 1887. The taping begins on Sunday, August 2 at 6:45 p.m. in HPR's Atherton Performing Arts Studio, 738 Kāheka Street. Admission is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and reservations are strongly recommended. Call (808) 955-8821. Aloha Shorts airs weekly on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. on Hawai'i Public Radio statewide. The show is co-produced by Sammie Choy, Craig Howes, and Phyllis Look. On-air host is Cedric Yamanaka. For more information, visit bambooridge.com or hawaiipublicradio.org.