Kauai Polynesian Festival 2012
The 2012 Kauai Polynesian Festival will take place on Memorial Day weekend May 24 to 27 at Vidinha Stadium. This Kauai festival will feature Tahitian, Maori, Samoan and Hawaiian entertainment, Polynesian arts and crafts, solo and group dance competitions, food booths, and workshops.
Thursday, May 24
5:00 pm – Thursday night kicks off its 4-day weekend of cultural exchanges beginning with “A Polynesian Evening of Stars” an evening of Polynesian cultural protocol ceremony, entertainment by FAB4, a Hawaiian Contemporary group of four Hawaii Stars winners sharing energetic and heartwarming memorable tunes, fashion show and its newly added event “U Tink U Get Talent” a talent contest for youth and adult singers, dancers and musicians preparing to perform their favorite Polynesian song, dance or Polynesian instrument. Food, arts & crafts entertainment and more.
Friday, May 25
11:30 am – Gates open to partake in island style food and shop through the Polynesian arts & crafts, Polynesian farmer’s market display and demonstration tent.
12:00 pm – Celebrate a Polynesian Experience – a hands-on cultural crafts & dance activity. Learn weaving techniques using the fronds of the coconut and hala tree, learn to husk a coconut, fire making and spear throwing, finally let the pros teach you how to dance the hula, make a ti-leaf lei and tie a pareau (sarong), Polynesian style.
3:00 pm – The festival will feature island halau hula (schools of dance) who will share their talents in a selection of Traditional and Modern Polynesian dance presentations.
4:00 pm – Entertainment on center stage will begin with a repeat performance of ‘Oahu’s own FAB4, a Hawaiian Contemporary group of our Hawaii Stars winners sharing energetic and heartwarming memorable tunes.
6:00 pm – Aotearoa, New Zealand. The Maori action and poi ball dances of Aotearoa begins its dance competition followed by Na Kupuna Hula Auwana Group Competition and Keiki/Opio/Na Wahine solo & group Hula Kahiko competition in ages 6-12, 13-17 & 18-54. Entertainment, Polynesian dance exhibition, vendor fashion show offered each day.
Saturday, May 26
9:00 – Saturday morning at the soccer field, the dance workshops will begin with Maori action dances, poi ball, Samoan Fire Knife and Hawaiian Hula workshop. 9am to 11am.
11:30 am – Gates open to the public.
12:00 pm – Celebrate a Polynesian Experience – a hands-on cultural crafts & dance activity. Learn weaving techniques using the fronds of the coconut and hala tree, learn to husk a coconut, fire making and spear throwing, finally let the pros teach you how to dance the hula, make a ti-leaf lei and tie a pareau (sarong), Polynesian style.
3:00 – The festival will feature island halau hula (schools of dance) who will share their talents in a selection of Traditional and Modern Polynesian dance presentations.
4:00 pm – Entertainment on center stage will begin with Oahu’s own FAB4, a Hawaiian Contemporary group of four Hawaii Stars winners sharing energetic and heartwarming memorable tunes.
5:00 pm – The evening will begin with a Tahitian Otea dance exhibition performance by the 2011 KPF House drummers and dancers followed by dance competition in the Tahitian group Otea, Aparima & Ahupurotu categories. Directly after that, the evening will culminate with the exhilarating Fire Knife dance competition for age categories Junior 6-12, Intermediate 13-17 and Senior 18 & Over.
Sunday, May 27
9:00 am – Sunday morning at the soccer field, more dance workshops will begin with Tahitian dance and drumming workshops. 9am-11am.
11:30 am – Gates open to the public.
12:00 pm – Hawaiian Contemporary group “the FAB4″ will begin the Hawaiian entertainment on center stage.
1:00 pm – The competition will begin with Tahitian Ori/solo division ages 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-17, 18-21, 22-25, 26-30, 31-39, 40 & over with Couples division and Drumming competition to follow. A Tahitian Tamure and Awards Ceremony culminate the weekend festivities.
Pacific Hurricane Season 2012
The 2012 Pacific hurricane season officially starts on May 15, 2012 in the Eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 2012 in the Central Pacific, and ends on November 30, 2012. There are approximately 80-100 tropical storms annually and about half of these storms become full-fledged hurricanes when their winds reach 74 mph. Hurricanes vary widely in area and intensity. They can be from 60 to 1000 miles wide, and their strength is measured on the Saffir-Simpson scale from a weak category 1 storm to a catastrophic category 5 storm.
Hurricane damage results from three primary causes:
Storm Surge.
Most human fatalities can be attributed to the storm surge that quickly floods low-lying coastal areas with anywhere from 3 feet to 20 feet of storm surge.
Wind Damage.
The strong winds of a hurricane can cause widespread destruction far inland of coastal areas, destroying homes, buildings, and infrastructure.
Freshwater Flooding.
Hurricanes are huge tropical storms and dump many inches of rain over a widespread area in a short period of time. This water can engorge rivers and streams, causing hurricane-induced flooding.
Pacific Hurricane Formation
In the Pacific Ocean when an organized area of showers and thunderstorms intensifies, it becomes known as a tropical disturbance. This disturbance becomes an organized area of tropical low pressure that is called a tropical depression. A tropical depression’s winds are measured at 33 feet above the surface, and must be at or below 38 miles per hour when averaged out over one minute. These cyclonic winds go counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. Once average winds reach 39 mph then the cyclonic system becomes a tropical storm and receives a name. Tropical storm names are preselected and issued alphabetically for each storm, while tropical depressions are numbered.
A hurricane is a heat engine, powered by the latent heat energy released from condensation. That heat energy is derived from the ocean, and to develop it must be supplied with a constant supply of warm humid air for this process. When seawater evaporates from the surface, it takes heat with it. As the rising water vapor reaches clouds an incredible amount of heat is released, warming the air and driving the hurricane’s circulation. Surface air with enough energy to generate a hurricane only exists over oceans with a temperature greater than 80 degrees F and at least 600 feet deep. Ocean temperatures this high only occur in selected regions of our planet and during particular seasons.
On average, hurricanes that form in the North Pacific move in a west or northwestward path. In reality, the track taken by any individual storm is often very chaotic. Hurricanes can suddenly change both their speed and direction of travel.
Monk Seal Foundation Video 1
The Monk Seal Foundation, based on Maui, has launched a new educational series. For the next 12 months they will be releasing one video a month highlighting information about the Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi) and how people can get involved with helping in the recovery process. Their goal is to preserve the monk seals for current and future generations to come.
Q: What should I do if I see a Hawaiian Monk Seal?
A: There is also a statewide network of dedicated response teams which actively work to protect monk seals which have hauled out on beaches and rocks. The best thing you can do is to leave the seal undisturbed and call the appropriate seal sighting hotline:
Oahu: (808) 220-7802
Kauai: (808) 651-7668
Molokai: (808) 553-5555
Maui & Lanai: (808) 292-2372
East Hawaii (Big Island): (808) 756-5961
West Hawaii (Big Island): (808) 987-0765
Humpback Whale Count January 2012
Volunteers collected data from 61 sites on the shores of O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, and Hawai‘i Island for the January Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count. Over 950 participants tallied humpback whale sightings and documented the animals’ surface behavior during the survey. The sanctuary protects humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaiian waters where they migrate each winter to mate, calve, and nurse their young. Up to 12,000 humpback whales return to their Hawaiian birthplace every year between November to May after migrating from as far away as Alaska.
The following were the average numbers of whales sighted per 15-minute count period on each of the islands:
Kaua‘i – 8 whales
Hawai‘i Island – 3 whales
O‘ahu – 2 whales
On Kauai:
Kapa‘a Lookout – 8 average
Ninini Point Lighthouse – 14 highest 15-minute count
Crater Hill in Kilauea – 13 highest 15-minute count
Makahuena Point – 12 highest 15-minute count
Kilauea Lighthouse – 11 highest 15-minute count
Mahaulepu-Makawehi – 11 highest 15-minute count
Other marine wildlife seen during the Sanctuary Ocean Count included Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, spinner dolphins, and a variety of sea birds. Two more Sanctuary Ocean Counts are scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 25 and March 31. For more information on becoming a Sanctuary Ocean Count volunteer visit sanctuaryoceancount.org or call 1-888-55-WHALE ext. 253.
Aloha Shirt Postage Stamps
Postage stamps picturing colorful Aloha shirts will go on sale at U.S. Postal Service offices around the country. The stamps also will be available online at www.usps.com. The aloha shirt stamps will be 29 cent postcard stamps.
Nothing says “Hawai‘i” or conjures casual good times like the colorful Aloha shirt, which takes its name from the Hawaiian word often used as a blessing or greeting. The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the spirit of “Aloha” with five stamps, each depicting a different shirt. Aloha shirts are made from boldly patterned fabric showing decorative images of Hawaiian life. Two of the five classic shirts depicted in the stamp art showcase surfers and their boards; one shows fossil fish, shells, and sea stars; another shows a tropical flower known as the bird of paradise; and one shows Kilauea, a volcano on the Big Island of Hawai‘i.
