Hawaii Public Schools:
Return to Learn, Return Together
August 3, 2021
The Longest Spring Break Ever
Spring Break 2020 for students was supposed to be the usual one-week long break from the rigors of academia in the month of March. After the first case of covid was diagnosed in Hawaii on March 6, 2020, Gov. David Ige announced that Hawaii schools would extend Spring Break by one week, then another week. As covid cases multiplied, on April 17, 2020, the DOE closed all schools for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. Over a half million vaccinations later, we’re at summer’s end in 2021, and students statewide will be back in class with masks and safety measures in mind and in practice. As a great portion of our population gathers for the first day of class on August 4, 2021, our state will be taking a major step amid a health crisis. Wherever the tide turns, the DOE will continue to help students, teachers, and families make the transition with care and caution—every step of the way.
Preparations for In-Person Learning Continue
In anticipation of the first day of class, teachers and administrators are preparing to follow guidelines for in-person learning. Some guidelines to follow:
Mask wearing. Especially in elementary schools where students are ineligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Ohana Bubbles. Keeping students in small groups to mitigate covid cases in schools.
Open-Air Ventilation. There are some schools where air conditioning may be required due to external environments and climate.
COVID-19 Vaccination Promotion & Education. Staff and students should stay home when sick, use hand hygiene, correct and consistent mask wearing, and use guidelines for close contacts in an indoor classroom.
More DOE Resources:
The State Department of Health released updated COVID-19 Guidance for Schools that includes core essential strategies and additional mitigation practices to help return to in-person learning. Click here to download the updated guidance. To see the Return To Learn: School Reopening Plan here and the DOE Safety Handbook here.
UPDATES AT THE LEGISLATURE
Senate Takes Action on Two Judicial Appointments
This week, the Senate took action on the two pending judicial appointments in the second special session of 2021. The first action was to approve the appointment of Lesley Maloian to the District Family Court of the First Circuit. Judge Maloian has been a Deputy Public Defender in Honolulu for the past 18 years. Daniel Gluck, Executive Director of the Hawaii State Ethics Commission, was nominated to the Intermediate Court of Appeals. He notified the Senate of his intent. To withdraw his name and the Senate proceeded with a procedural vote to not advise and consent to his appointment. Given the Senate’s action, the Governor shall make another appointment from the list (that was transmitted to the Governor from the Judicial Selection Commission on June 9, 2021) within ten days. The Second Special Session of 2021 has been extended and will reconvene on a later date, subject to the call of the Senate President.
A Retrospective on the 2021 Legislative Session
View video of Senator Moriwaki’s appearance on this Thinktech Hawaii TV. Filmed on 7/27/21, she provides insights on Hawaii’s 2021 legislative session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Haby7djDZkg
HOUSEBOUND SENIORS, VACCINE SITE RELOCATION, VARIANT PROTECTION
Vaccine Option for the Housebound
So Grandma doesn’t want to leave the house to get vaccinated. Now she can get personalized service by calling the Department of Health at 586-8332 to arrange an in-home vaccination. Of course, this doesn’t apply to just Grandma. Call to see if your circumstances warrant a visit.
Hawaii Pacific Vaccination Moves from Pier 1 to Kapiolani Medical Center
After seven months at Pier 2, Hawaii Pacific Health(HPH) Vaccination Center will close its doors after July 31; and. will move to the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, starting August 2. The Center is also preparing for the anticipated COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 12. Additional HPH hospital and clinic locations operating on August 2 are:
Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women & Children. Schedule appointment here.
Straub Medical Center – Ward Village Clinic & Urgent Care. Schedule appointment here.
Straub Medical Center – Doctors on Call at Sheraton Waikiki. Schedule an appointment here. (Both Straub locations accept walk-ins for vaccinations daily from noon to 6 p.m. The clinics are currently only offering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.)
COVID-19 Vax Squad Bus. Schedule appointment here. HPH will continue to offer the vaccine on Oahu through its mobile vaccine clinic.
The CDC Says COVID-19 Vaccine Protects You from Severe Illness and Death
“Severe illness” means that a person with COVID-19 may need hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help with breathing, and even die from the virus. To date, 534 have died due to covid. The CDC says COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing the severe effects of this disease and especially prevent death — even against the highly transmissible delta variant. Fully vaccinated people can be infected, but they tend to suffer no symptoms or only mild illness. Read more here.
TAX CREDITS, TENANT & LANDLORD HELP
Are the Child Tax Credit Payments Taxable?
No. Advance Child Tax Credit payments, which began July 15 and will continue monthly through December 2021, unless a recipient opts out, are not taxable income. Your total prepayment will add up to what the IRS estimates as half the Child Tax Credit you’ll claim on your 2021 federal income tax return. The IRS based its estimate on your 2020 or 2019 tax return (the most recent on file) or on information non-filers submitted online to the IRS.
Apply for Real Property Tax Credits
The city’s Real Property Tax Credit program for the 2022-2023 tax year is accepting applications until Sept. 30. You can get the form-fillable application here. After completing, print it out and mail the completed application to the city at the address on the form. You can’t submit it online. People without internet access or a printer can pick up an application at a satellite city hall or call the Tax Relief Office at 768-3205 to have an application mailed to them. This tax relief is limited to Oahu homeowners who have:
A home exemption for the property at the time of application and for the subsequent tax year.
Do not own any other property anywhere.
Income that does not exceed $60,000.
Tenant-Landlord Resources Are Available
Evictions and Foreclosures are nightmares that don’t have to be. The key is to prepare and know what to do. There is help for BOTH tenants and landlords below:
If you are in a housing crisis, or know someone who is, please email info@ihshawaii.org
CITY RENT RELIEF PROGRAM, GRANT ASSISTANCE, NEW PPP LOAN PORTAL
City’s Rent & Relief Program Currently Paused but Will Reopen
The City’s Rental and Utility Relief Program is temporarily closed to new applications until after the current 25,000 applications are processed. Although the reopening date for the next round of applicants is yet to be determined, you can be notified when the program does reopen by emailing your name and email address here. The notification will come from kokua@hawaiiancouncil.org. Please continue to check your email including your Spam Folder for confirmation. For additional resources, please visit https://www.oneoahu.org/resources
Applications still being accepted for Federal Grants Assisting Hawaii’s Arts & Entertainment Venues
Over $100 million in federal aid has been received by 68 of Hawaii’s arts and entertainment companies stung by COVID-19 impacts. Through the national SBA’s Shuttered Venue Operators program, grants went to organizations including Robert’s Hawaii, Paradise Cove Luau, Tihati Productions, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, Polynesian Cultural Center, and Paradise Cove Luau. Government entities that received grants include the City and County of Honolulu and the Waikiki Aquarium. More information is available here.
SBA Launches New Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Portal
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has launched a streamlined Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness portal which will allow small-business owners with loans of $150,000 or less to apply for forgiveness directly with the SBA. It will simplify forgiveness for millions of our smallest businesses who used funds from the Paycheck Protection Program loans to survive the pandemic. It’s an effort to deliver forgiveness more efficiently so businesses can get back to fueling the economy. The new portal will begin accepting applications on Aug. 4. Visit the portal here and read the user’s guide here.
DISTRICT HAPPENINGS
Kakaako United Citizen Patrol on Monday led by Officer Tani Takushi and Officer Ed Ho and joined by new recruits for the Art Loft Citizen Patrol. If interested in joining the Art Loft Citizen Patrol, please contact Coordinator Lindsay Pacheco atpachecol@hawaii.edu
Congratulations to Olympic Gold Medalist and Honolulu Native Carissa Moore
This week, Carissa Moore, who grew up surfing with her father off Waikiki Beach as early as five years old, became the first Olympic women’s surfing champion bringing the gold home to Hawaii. Congratulations to Carissa Moore on this historic accomplishment celebrated by the entire community!
Carissa Moore, of the United States, celebrates winning the gold medal of the women’s surfing competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, at Tsurigasaki beach in Ichinomiya, Japan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco). (SOURCE: foxnews.com)
Low-Income Micro Units Rise in the Heart of Kakaako
Developers have transformed a small surface parking lot leased from the Hawaii Community Development Authority, into a beautiful apartment building—Nohona Hale. Located at 630 Cooke Street, the 16-story Nohona Hale features 111 studio apartments with their own private lanais for residents earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income. The $52.7 million development, which opened in February 2020, also boasts green features, including solar photovoltaic panels, solar thermal water heating, LED lighting, and low-flow water fixtures. The developers of the project are EAH Housing and New York-based Bronx Pro Group.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Experts Update Legislators on Hawaii’s Economy and Medical State: AUG. 2, 10:00am
What are our medical leaders doing about the recent spike in covid cases? What is the state of Hawaii’s economy now? What is our next step? These questions will be addressed before the House Committee on COVID-19 Economic & Financial Preparedness who will hear reports from:
Dr. Carl Bonham, Executive Director, UH Economic Research Organization (UHERO)
Dr. Jill Hogard Green, President & CEO, Queen’s Health Systems
Dr. Mark Mugiishi, President & CEO, HMSA
Ray Vara, CEO, Hawaii Pacific Health
For questions, call 586-6100. To view the livestreamed event, find the link on the agenda here.
Attend Pedestrian Safety Event: AUG. 3, 6:00 – 7:00pm
Pedestrian safety will be a high priority for watchdogs as school begins next week. Join HPD and safety organizers in promoting safe driving pedestrian awareness on the roads. Signs will be provided. Just bring your enthusiasm and your smile!
Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) Meetings: AUG. 4
Kakaako Business: 9:15am (Virtual) Topics of discussion:
Funds to Repair the Elevator Curtainwall at the Kauhale Kakaako Parking Garage.
Security Guard Contracts to Kewalo Basin Harbor Diamond Head Parking Area and Kolowalu Park.
Allowing Unit Owners to Obtain a Second Mortgage Under Certain Conditions.
To view, attend, or submit testimony, click on the agenda here.
Kakaako VA Clinic Building Hearing: 11:00am (Virtual)
Topic of discussion: Developer VA Aloha LLC is proposing to build a Department of Veterans Affairs Multi-Specialty Outpatient Clinic on an approximately 415,194 square feet lot.
The proposed VA Clinic consists of a 40ft-high building that will provide space for doctors of different specialties, support staff and equipment.
To view the hearing notice, click on the agenda here
McCully Moiliili Neighborhood Board: AUG. 5, 6:30pm
This neighborhood board meets every 1st Thursday of every month.
Kupuna Caucus Meeting: AUG. 6, 2:00 – 3:00pm
It has come to the attention of the Kupuna Caucus that under Hawaii law, insurance companies can raise rates of long-term care with little regulation. In one example, an insurer that hasn’t raised rates in 20 years notified customers of an increase of 14-15% cumulatively and annually for the next 5 years. It will hit hard our Kupuna on fixed incomes. We’ve invited Insurance Commissioner Colin Hayashida to the next meeting of the Kupuna Caucus to answer questions and concerns.
JULY 31 Soul Journey with Intuitive Painting at Magic Island: 10:00am – 12:00pm
What better way to capture Hawaii’s beauty? Get ready for a hands-on intuitive painting experience full of inspiration and self-expression. This journey begins with a Theta-healing® meditation to connect body, mind and soul, and to expand creative abilities. Cost is $45.13. Click here for tickets and more info.
Discovery Group Dance Class: 1:00 – 1:45pm
Learn some swaggy steps at the Arthur Murray Dance Center of Hawaii at 770 Kapiolani Blvd. Instructors will focus on patterns, footwork, timing & balance, while encouraging you to develop your own personal dancing style. They’ll teach you to navigate the dance floor gracefully, so you can dance around others on a crowded floor without breaking stride. Cost is $15. Click here for tickets and more info.
SALT Summer Nights in Kakaako: 5:00 – 8:00pm
Enjoy local, live music from Mike Tulba & Dayton Watanabe while shopping and supporting local businesses at SALT, a unique shopping center of boutiques, restaurants and cafés located at 691 Auahi Street. Admission is free. For questions, call 808-457-0155. Click here for more info.
AUGUST 1 Sunday Morning Sound Bath at Kapiolani Park: 10:00 – 11:00am
Reconnect with nature and yourself on the Kapiolani Park lawn across from the Waikīkī Aquarium for a sound bath and meditative peace with Sound Healing Hawaii. Listen to chirping birds, leaves rustling in the wind, and the chiming sounds of crystal singing bowls. Bring a towel or blanket and lie down on the grass to connect with earth and focus on your breathing. The event is free. For more info., click here (scroll down to last listing)
Freeze Hawaii in a Bottle, Terrarium, at Kapiolani Park Bandstand: 4:00 – 5:30pm
Are you ready to meet a beautifully botanical activity? A terrarium is a sealable glass container containing soil and plants, and can be opened for maintenance to access the plants inside. Simply, it is a self-sustainable ecosystem. While learning about the carbon, oxygen, and water cycle, make the most original designs you’ve ever created. Cost is $69. The host will bring all the materials. For more info., click here.
