Ka'u News Briefs Feb. 9, 2012

The state hopes to double the number of priority watershed preserved, like this one, already under management of The Nature Conservancy at Kaiholena between Pahala and Na`alehu in Ka`u. Photo from TNC

IMMEDIATE PROTECTION OF PRIORITY WATERSHED FORESTS is the aim of a Department of Land & Natural Resources senate bill, SB 2782, discussed in Honolulu this week. It is part of Hahai No Ka Ua i Ka Ulula’au, The Rain Follows the Forest initiative to double protected watersheds within the next 10 years. Conservation Council for Hawai`i Executive Director Marjorie Ziegler says, “this is one of the most important things the DLNR and the legislature can do for our people and generations to come. If you drink water and bathe, you should care.” Testimony can be sent to the Senate Committee on Water, Land and Housing and the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment via http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2782&year=2012.

Ka'u cattle ranchers receive help from the USDA
Rural Development program.  Photo by Julia Neal

THE HAWAI`I CATTLE PRODUCERS COOPERATIVE has won a grant for its 50 ranch members statewide for transportation, marketing and other services. Ka`u ranches that are members of the co-op include Kapapala and Kuahiwi. Funding comes from U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Value-Added Producer Grant Program. The cooperative helps members transport their cattle and sell their beef. The grant totals more than $58,000.

ENERGY CONSERVATION EDUCATION and installation of solar water heaters and photovoltaics also received funding from Rural Development. This money went to the Hawai`i Economic Opportunity Council here on the Big Island and totals $1,218,791.
      Sen. Dan Inouye said, “This grant provides multiple opportunities for Hawai`i Island families to save money by using the power of the sun to heat their water, a cost-effective way to manage their utility bills while lessening Hawai`i’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. Hawai`i’s high energy costs are a burden on many segments of our society, and any effort to enhance energy efficiency should be encouraged and supported. I am very pleased that the Obama administration recognizes Hawai`i’s role as the clean energy leader and continues to support our efforts with federal investments.”

Sen. Dan Inouye supports solar.

      Sen. Dan Akaka said, “Solar water heaters are a great investment, and I encourage businesses and homeowners to look into this cost-saving technology. This program—along with the support and ingenuity of people across Hawai`i—will help us continue to move forward as a leader in clean energy.”
      Rep. Mazie Hirono said, “The people of Hawai`i pay the highest electricity costs in the country – close to $170 per household per month. I know first-hand how a solar water heater unit can help ease those costs, as my family has used one for years in our home on O`ahu. This is the type of program that puts people to work installing solar heating units and helps Hawai`i families save money, especially our rural communities on Hawai`i Island. This also keeps our island state on the path to reaching our goal of becoming energy self-sufficient.”
      Chris Kanazawa, USDA Rural Development Hawai`i State director, said, “The High Energy Cost Grant Program assists rural residents and businesses in Hawai`i to upgrade energy infrastructure and make other energy efficiency improvements. These grants are another example of how USDA Rural Development in Hawai`i works to help local rural communities overcome economic obstacles and create opportunity.”
       To sign up, applicants go through an energy audit of the home, attend an energy education workshop and sign assurances to comply with guidelines.
       While the program is set up for families living in poverty, households at 200 percent or above the poverty level can participate in a cost-sharing arrangement. The project covers 80 percent of costs and homeowners pay the remaining 20 percent. Call 322-3428.

Constance Lau, CEO  of HEI

HAWAI`I ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES MADE $128.2 MILLION IN PROFITS LAST YEAR as electric rates reached historic highs. In a statement, HEI President and CEO Constance Lau said, “Our improved earnings help us fund the upfront investments necessary to support Hawai`i’s move to clean energy. We are continuing to reinvest earnings in an aggressive infrastructure program to modernize the electric grid for reliability and to prepare it for significant amounts of renewable energy.” She said HEI invested $200 million in infrastructure in 2011.
      A hearing will be held at the state Legislature tomorrow to consider taking HEI out of the electricity producing business, opening up competition for lower rates to consumers. HEI would be tasked with distributing the electricity through its power lines and charging customers for that service only.


THE HAWAI`I MEDICAL SERVICES ASSOCIATION has granted the American Lung Association in Hawai`i $25,000 for its Ma`opopo Oli Hano (Understanding Asthma) program. The mission is asthma education and management for Native Hawaiian children, their families, and caregivers. School programs provide asthma education and management skills to teachers. Another HMSA grant goes to the National Alliance on Mental Illness Hawai`i to help families understand and cope with a family member who has a mental illness. This program also helps people with a mental illness avoid becoming homeless.

KA`U RED HATTERS host an annual bake and craft sale for Ka`u Hospital tomorrow and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Punalu`u Beach Park. Call Barbara Beatty at 929-9072.

VOLCANO ART CENTER hosts Love the Arts Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are available at VAC Gallery, the Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village, and online at www.volcanolovethearts.org. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.

Park visitors hike to Mauna Ulu (top right). Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

TWO GUIDED HIKES are offered at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park this Sunday.
      People & Land of Kahuku at the Kahuku Unit is a moderately difficult hike across 2.5 miles of rugged terrain. Wear appropriate walking attire and bring water. The tour, starting at 9:30 a.m., focuses on human history and ends around 12:30 p.m. The Kahuku Unit entrance lies between miles 70 and 71 on Hwy 11. Call 985-6011.
      Sunday Walk in the Park is offered by Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., in the Kilauea side of the park. Nick Shema leads this three-mile round-trip exploration of the Mauna Ulu area. Group size limited to 15. Free to Friends members; non-members welcome to join in order to attend. Park entrance fees apply. Call 985-7373 or email admin@fhvnp.org.

Thank you our news briefs sponsors: Ka'u Coffee Mill and Pahala Plantation Cottages.

Ka'u News Briefs Feb. 8, 2012

Participants at Na`alehu Elementary's Math & Science Night viewed projects such as anemometers. Photo by Nalani Parlin

A PUBLIC HEARING ON INVEST IN HAWAI`I ACT 2012 will be held this Friday at the state Capitol at 9 a.m., and anyone can submit testimony online. A statement from the Senate describes the bill as “garnering bipartisan support” and describes it as “an aggressive $500 million general obligation bond-funded Capital Improvement Program package aimed at creating jobs by investing and stimulating our local economy from all corners of the state.”
      Among the investments would be development of sustainable and renewable energy resources, such as photovoltaic technology. “Investing in renewable energy and upgrades to information technology initiatives throughout schools, hospitals, and office buildings will ultimately lead to cost savings and a reduction of the State’s carbon footprint,” says a statement from the Senate. Public state facilities in Ka`u that could possibly receive such funding include Ka`u Hospital and the new Ka`u High School Gym and regional disaster shelter, both funded by the state. 

Photovoltaics could save the state money and reduce the carbon footprint
of public buildings, the state Senate says. Photo from solar-green-wind.com

      The Senate statement says that, “with Hawai`i experiencing the lowest interest rates on record and significant savings made from the State’s most recent bond authorization and issuance, now is the time to invest in our State. The program will appropriate funds for shovel-ready jobs projects that will create jobs for all trades in the construction industry – from carpenters to consultants.”
      The Senate statement points to estimates by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s job multiplier, calling them “conservative” and contending the projects could “create or sustain more than 5,000 jobs.”
      Projects would focus on repair and maintenance needs to address aging infrastructure concerns and to extend the useful life of existing state-owned assets and facilities. Projects would include those that address health and safety code concerns. Infrastructure funding would go to the Department of Education, including the State Public Library System; the University of Hawai`i, including athletic facilities; the Department of Accounting and General Services; the Department of Agriculture; the Department of Defense; the Department of Health and health care facilities of the Hawai`i Health Systems; the Department of Human Services; the Department of Land and Natural Resources; the Department of Public Safety and the Judiciary.
      In order to expedite the backlogged repair and maintenance projects, Senate Bill 2012 makes revisions to the State’s permitting, approval and procurement process. “The accelerated process will expedite the creation of jobs and facilitate the return to work for many of our residents,” said the Senate statement.
      Testimony can be submitted online at http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/submittestimony.aspx.

Scientists at Keck Observatory were involved in discovering a potentially habitable planet 22 light-years from Earth.
 Photo from www.keckobservatory.org

A POTENTIALLY HABITABLE PLANET, orbiting a star about 22 light-years from Earth, was discovered by an international team including scientists living here on the Big Island and working for the Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea. The “super-Earth” has a minimum mass 4.5 times that of the Earth. The planet has a similar orbital period to Earth of about 28 days and is within the star’s “habitable zone,” where temperatures are neither too cold nor too hot for liquid water. 

      “This planet is the new best candidate to support liquid water and, perhaps, life as we know it,” said a discovery team leader, Guillem Anglada-Escudé, of the Carnegie Institution for Science.
      Evidence suggests at least one additional planet, possibly more, orbits the star, which is said to be a member of a triple-star system. Scientists say the host star, an M-class dwarf star called GJ 667C, has a different composition than Earth’s sun, indicating that potentially habitable planets can exist in a greater array of environments than believed in the past. “This was expected to be a rather unlikely star to host planets. Yet there they are, around a very nearby, metal-poor example of the most common type of star in our galaxy,” said Steven Vogt, a member of the discovery team and a professor of astrophysics and astronomy at UC Santa Cruz. “The detection of this planet, this nearby and this soon, implies that our galaxy must be teeming with billions of potentially habitable rocky planets.”
      Published by Astrophysical Journal Letters, the teams’ manuscript will be posted online at http://arxiv.org/archive/astro-ph.

Gardening was a topic at Na`alehu School's Math
& Science Night. Photo by Nalani Parlin

AT NA`ALEHU ELEMENTARY’S Math & Science Night yesterday, participants dove into learning with fun, educational hands-on activities for the whole family. Gardeners planted beanstalk to take home, and others learned about kites and wind socks and viewed student projects such as creating anemometers. 

FISHERMEN SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS of heavy vog that sometimes covers the nearshore waters off of Kilauea Volcano, warns Pahala and Milloli`i fisherman Guy Sesson. Sesson said he recently headed out from Punalu`u to fish near Halape but had to return after he ran into heavy volcanic fumes. “I couldn’t breath,” he said. Another fisherman who left out of Punalu`u on Monday passed away on his boat, and medical personnel are attempting to determine what happened to him. Two experienced hikers passed away after being overcome with sulfuric steam about eight years ago.

STARBUCKS wants more Ka`u Coffee, according to Chris Manfredi, who has helped to seal the deal between Ka`u Coffee farmers and the chain of gourmet coffee cafés. Starbucks is selling Ka`u Coffee in more than 250 stores worldwide, Manfredi told farmers at the Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative meeting last night. The packaging describes Ka`u Coffee as an exciting find for Starbucks buyers who visit coffee growing areas around the world and recently visited Ka`u to see the farms on the slopes of Mauna Loa. Ka`u is sold as one of the elite Starbucks Reserve coffees, and the company may look for a long-term arrangement with the local farmers if supply and good quality are consistent, he said.

THE KA`U RED HATTERS host their annual bake and craft sale to benefit Ka`u Hospital this Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Punalu`u Beach Park. For more information, call Barbara Beatty at 929-9072.

VOLCANO ART CENTER hosts their eighth annual Love the Arts benefit gala this Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Participants will be transported to Venice, Italy, through food, artwork and installations by some of Hawai`i’s most gifted artisans. Tickets are available at VAC Gallery, the Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village, and online at www.volcanolovethearts.org. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.

Ka'u News Briefs Feb. 7, 2012

This kind of  container home could meet building code requirements. However, some families are now living in
containers without the amenities. Photo from weburbanist.com

BLOWING UP THE BUILDING CODE is the way Bob Herkes has described his bill in the 2012 Hawai`i Legislature to make it easier to construct houses. The measure passed the House Committee on Water, Land & Ocean Resources last Friday and now goes before more committees and public hearings.
      Herkes told The Ka`u Calendar that it pains him to see people forced to live in lava tubes, vans, and shipping containers. He said that people should be able to build four walls and a roof and live in the structure. The measure, House Bill 2358, would allow counties to apply for changes in the state building code by going to a revised building code council. 

This lava tube is protected in Hawai`i Volcanoes
National Park, but some lava tubes in Ka`u
have residents. Photo from USGS

      Honolulu Fire Chief Kenneth Silva, who also chairs the State Fire Council, testified that he is concerned about easing requirements that would protect residents from faulty building practices that could lead to fire hazards. He said the Hawai`i Fire Council should be represented on the Building Code Council.
      The planning department on O`ahu also aired concerns, pointing out that Herkes wants the basic building code to revert to standards of the 1929 Honolulu Building Code. “The City and County of Honolulu has not used this building code for over 60 years,” testified David Tanoe, director of Planning and Permitting for the City & County of Honolulu. “If adopted, this building code would be the most backward building code of all states in this nation,” he said. He said the “outdated code goes against logic and would have serious detrimental affects on the life-safety and the economy.” Numerous testimonies have been submitted, acknowledging a need for change in the building code but also expressing concerns for safety.

A NATURAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS COMMISSION is another Herkes measure within House Bill 2358. The volunteer commission would serve under the state Civil Defense Agency. The commission would consist of nine members appointed by the governor with expertise in climate, geology and other scientific disciplines to advise the Hawai`i state building code council on matters relating to natural disasters. It would conduct annual scientific evaluations to determine frequency, location and intensity of natural disasters here, determine the necessity and effectiveness of proposed amendments to the building code relating to natural disasters and would recommend changes to the state building code.

      Much has been made of building designs that that ignore vog and earthquakes on the Big Island but are designed to withstand hurricanes that rarely come here and have caused no major damage.
      The Structural Engineers Association of Hawai`i opposed the Herkes bill, noting that it would eliminate standards such as shower control valves to prevent scalding and energy conserving features of the building code.
      The state Farm Bureau and an aquaculture alliance sent in testimony saying they want a representative from agriculture on the building code council and that it hopes for permit relief for ag buildings.
      To keep up with testimony and proposed legislation, see www.capitol.hawaii.gov.

Japanese wedding at Pahala Plantation House. Photo by Julia Neal

JAPANESE TOURISM to Hawai`i has been constant and growing, even after the tsunami and earthquake. Hawai`i Pacific University professor Jerry Agrusa has come up with a reason, following interviews of visitors from Japan. The reason is that life can be taken away so quickly that one must enjoy beauty while one can. Hawai`i is a place of beauty to most Japanese people. According to representatives of Pahala Plantation Cottages here in Ka`u, the visitor count from Japan is up, including weddings and plans for a halau to stay in Ka`u during the upcoming Merrie Monarch festival.

DISCOVER YOUR INNER SCIENTIST or mathematician at Na`alehu Elementary’s Math & Science Night tonight from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Na`alehu School Gym. Dive into learning with fun, educational hands-on activities for the whole family. Plant and take home your very own beanstalk, check out the world of kites and wind socks and peruse student projects. Free chili and rice dinner will be served, and free books given to attending Na`alehu Elementary students.

NATIVE HAWAIIAN PRACTITIONER Momi Subiono teaches la`au lapa`au, the traditional uses of Hawaiian plants, tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the lanai of Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The event is free, and park entrance fees apply.

THE KA`U RED HATTERS’ annual bake and craft sale to benefit Ka`u Hospital takes place this Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Punalu`u Beach Park. For more information, call Barbara Beatty at 929-9072.

VOLCANO ART CENTER’S eighth annual Love the Arts benefit gala is this Saturday, Feb. 11 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Participants will be transported to Venice, Italy, through food, artwork and installations by some of Hawai`i’s most gifted artisans. Tickets are available at VAC Gallery, the Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village, and online at www.volcanolovethearts.org. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.

Ka'u News Briefs Feb. 6, 2012

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary in the South Hawaiian Islands. Map from NOAA

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC CO. will raise rates on homes that don’t have solar panels in order to make up for lost revenue for those who have installed solar, according to stories in today’s Pacific Business News and Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Big Island rates could go up an average of $10 a month, or 1.7 cents per kilowatt-hour. According to the stories, customers statewide installed so many photovoltaic panels connecting to HECO’s grids that they provided up to 30 megawatts of electricity, the same capacity as a big wind farm on O`ahu. This led to savings for those owning photovoltaic systems but a loss to HECO of $7.4 million. HECO claims it needs to raise rates so it can pay for meter readers, distribution lines and other costs. The Star-Advertiser reports Public Utilities Commission chair Mina Morita saying that raising rates with this argument is “not equitable. It’s something the Commission will have to look at closely.” 

HECO plans to raise rates to make up for losses caused by
solar panels. Photo from airbnb.com

      To remove HECO from its obligation to move into alternative energy while still providing profits to shareholders, a bill in the state Legislature would take the utility out of the energy production business and leave it with its power distribution network, for which electric users would pay. 

THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS HUMPBACK WHALE SANCTUARY could be expanded to include not only protection of humpback whales but the entire ecosystem. The recommendation comes from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council.

      The recommendation is part of the sanctuary’s proposed management plan and comes out of reports presented to the council from working groups that have been considering new strategies to better inform sanctuary management. The sanctuary is engaged in a process to review, evaluate, and update its management plan and will release a draft management plan for public comment in 2013. The sanctuary is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Hawai`i state Department of Land & Natural Resources.
      Recommendations for management include consideration of special management areas and vessel speed limits, as well as increased collaboration with communities and state and federal agencies. The proposed management approach would consider the whole ecosystem, including humans and the environment, rather than managing one resource or issue in isolation. “These management recommendations are a monumental achievement and a first for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council,” said Dr. Adam Pack, council chair and an associate professor at University of Hawai`i-Hilo.

Humpback whales migrate to Hawaiian waters each winter to breed.
Photo from fish-journal.com

      Gov. Neil Abercrombie said he supports “a management plan review process that takes into account our need to assess the biocultural resources of Hawai`i so that we can ensure use and enjoyment by residents and visitors now and into the future. As co-manager of the sanctuary, the State of Hawai`i is committed to an open, public process that fully considers the uniqueness of Hawai`i’s people, culture and environment, including the needs and perspectives of different islands and communities,” said the governor. 

      Dr. Malia Chow, sanctuary superintendent, said, “We encourage the public to stay involved and continue to participate in shaping the future direction of the sanctuary.”
      “An ecosystem-based approach would allow the sanctuary to better support community efforts to protect and sustainably use their natural, cultural, and historic resources, and would also complement the current efforts of the DLNR that are aimed at the holistic management of our watersheds,” said Elia Herman, state co-manager of the sanctuary.

A STUDY GROUP THAT IS TOUGH ON most schools around the country has given the Hawai`i public school system poor marks in teaching science. The Fordham Institute is a conservative think tank that graded Hawai`i and 16 other states with a D for “content, rigor, clarity and specificity in their science standards,” according to a story in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser by Mary Vorsino. The report was particularly negative about high school science classes, saying the study found “only rare islands of content floating in a sea of omission, confusion and plain inaccuracy.”
      Fordham gave ten other states an F in science, while 11 states scored C’s. Thirteen states, along with the District of Columbia, earned A’s or B’s in teaching science.
      The Star-Advertiser story quotes Derrick Tsuruda, science educational specialist at the Hawai`i state Department of Education, as saying, “Anybody getting a D on a report card for anything would be disappointed.” He told the Star-Advertiser, “I think we’re going to have to look at, based on this report, a review of the (science) standards.”
      The report gave better marks for elementary school science classes than high school science classes in Hawai`i. See www.edexcellence.net for the complete State of the State Science Standards report by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, with it mission of “Advancing Educational Science.”

THE COAST GUARD AND HAWAI`I COUNTY, along with Maui County, will coordinate more closely during search and rescue missions. The mayors of the counties and Rear Adm. Charles W. Ray signed an agreement last week. The agreement sets up coordination between local fire departments, Ocean Safety, the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu, and the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu for civil and military search and rescue missions. 

      A statement from the Coast Guard said it helps responders to “fully leverage each organization’s unique assets, capabilities, and local knowledge while conducting SAR missions.”
      “This agreement offers benefits to both local and federal responders,” said Lt. Cmdr. Matt Derrenbacher of Sector Honolulu. “But the real benefits go to the citizens who live in and visit the Hawaiian Islands. We’re here to serve the public by providing them the best rescue, response capabilities and coordination possible to save lives.”

MOMI SUBIONO, a native Hawaiian practitioner of lomilomi, Hawaiian massage, kapa making and la`au lapa`au, teaches traditional uses of Hawaiian plants on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the lanai of Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The event is free, and park entrance fees apply.

THE KA`U RED HATTERS’ annual bake and craft sale to benefit Ka`u Hospital takes place this Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Punalu`u Beach Park. For more information, call Barbara Beatty at 929-9072.

Ka'u News Briefs Feb. 5, 2012

The Directory 2012 cover detail from the Ka`u Coffee Mill mural Akebono Ka`u by Kathleen Kam.

DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AT SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS and other state buildings, as well as upgrading facilities with alternative energy capabilities, are targeted with $500 million in funds from floating state bonds. The entire effort is promoted by Gov. Neil Abercrombie and his administration as an economic stimulus package. 

Calvin Say

      To make these projects go faster, the 2012 Legislature is considering a measure to allow fast-tracking permits and procurements, exempting these projects from county permits when construction meets county, state and federal codes. The Senate Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing this coming Friday on the legislation, called Bill 2012.
      According to a story in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “The dash toward streamlining has given some regulators and environmentalists pause, however, since permitting and procurement requirements are safeguards against substandard work and favoritism.”
      However, “senators have described the procurement process as lengthy and complicated, which can add considerable time to completing state construction. Their objective is to address smaller repairs and upgrades, such as painting a school or rewiring the electricity in a hospital wing, rather than build a new highway or public housing complex, – projects that would demand greater regulatory scrutiny,” the story by Derrick DePledge points out.

Robert Harris

       Robert Harris, director of the Sierra Club Hawai`i chapter, told the Star-Advertiser that he “recognizes that the Senate is targeting relatively minor construction projects but believes the exemptions may be too broad.” Harris told DePledge that “governmental oversight is intended to try and prevent bad projects from occurring. This may be too big of a blanket sweep, with a massive amount of money potentially,” Harris said.

Gary Hooser

      According to the Star-Advertiser, House Speaker Calvin Say proposed exempting some state and county projects from the state environmental review law. Gary Hooser, director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control, told the Star-Advertiser that the proposal is “ill-advised and unnecessary.”

BANK OF HAWAI`I IN KA`U is not scheduled to close. The rumor was fueled by the bank’s planned closure of Kohala – not Pahala, as Bankoh will shut down three community banks in April, in Kohala on the Big Island and Laie and Aikahi on O`ahu. The bank has been shifting to more online and mobile phone transactions and instore branches, such as those in KTA and Safeway.

ROAD IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, and visitors are advised to drive with caution and anticipate road closures and delays up to 15 minutes in construction areas.
      Intermittent closures of the entrance station lanes can be expected as crews repave the area. Visitors can also expect parking lot and partial road closures along Chain of Craters Road and along Crater Rim Drive between Kilauea Military Camp and Hwy 11. The west half of the steam vents parking lot is closed, but should re-open next week. Expect some delays on Mauna Loa Road.
      On Feb.13 and 14, Mauna Loa Road will be closed during the day. Hilina Pali Road from Kulanaokuaiki campground to the lower end near Hilina Pali Overlook will be closed between Feb. 13 and 17. All planned construction projects are dependent on weather conditions.
      Park superintendent Cindy Orlando said, “Please continue to pardon our dust as we make these necessary improvements to your National Park.” For updates, check www.nps.gov/havo.
      The improvements serve an increasing number of visitors to the park. Orlando reports that visitations have increased 8.8 percent since 2009, with a 3.6 percent rise in the last year.

CARNEVALE DI VENEZIA: Under a Hawaiian Moon is the theme of Volcano Art Center’s eighth annual Love the Arts benefit gala next Saturday, Feb. 11, with tickets available for purchase online at www.volcanolovethearts.org. For one memorable evening, guests will be transported to Venice, Italy, through food, artwork and installations by some of Hawai`i’s most gifted artisans. Each year the Love the Arts silent and live auctions grow in size and reputation through the generosity of local artists and community sponsors. Fine arts, goods and services will be among the auctioned items. Auction proceeds benefit arts, cultural and environmental programs in and around the Volcano community. Tickets are $50 and are available at VAC Gallery, the Niaulani Campus, www.volcanoartcenter.org and 967-8222. At the door, tickets are $60.

THE DIRECTORY, the annual publication of the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce, is being circulated throughout the district. The 80-page guide to businesses, services and community activities in Ka`u features an essay by one of Ka`u’s top students, now studying engineering at University of Hawai`i, feature photos of the beauty and community life in Ka`u, and listings and phone numbers of Chamber members, along with details about businesses in Ka`u to help the community buy local. 

Ka'u News Briefs Feb. 4, 2012

While mauka rains have greened up the tabletop mountains of Ka`u, makai ranches still suffer from drought.
Photo by Julia Neal

THE KA`U IRRIGATION SYSTEM has received $500,000 in funding, released this week by Gov. Neil Abercrombie. Russell Kokubun, who chairs the Hawai`i Board of Agriculture, which will oversee the expenditures through the state Department of Agriculture, applauded the funding. “Much of the state’s agricultural infrastructure is decades old, and it is important to maintain and upgrade them and keep them in service to Hawai`i’s farmers, growers and ranchers, now and for the future,” Kokubun said. The water system to be upgraded and repaired includes tunnels dug into the side of Mauna Loa to collect water for sugar plantations in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Russell Kokubun

      Cooperatives are being formed to determine how the funds will be used to install and manage the irrigation systems. Anyone interested in irrigation water or joining one of the co-ops can call Jeff McCall at 928-6456 or Malian Lahey at 808-280-2851.

KA`U ATTORNEY RON SELF will appeal the decision by Judge Greg Nakamura to deny compensation to Ocean View residents Leiloni O’Grady and Michael Patrick O’Grady for injuries suffered when a 160-ton boulder fell from the side of Hwy 11 and crushed their car. Since the accident on March 8, 2007, Leiloni O’Grady has been unable to return to work at the state Department of Education. According to a story in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, the judge concluded the non-jury trial by writing that “plaintiffs failed to prove ... that any breach of duty on the part of the state was a proximate cause of the harm suffered by plaintiffs.” However, the judge also wrote that the state “owes a duty to maintain its highways so they are reasonably safe for their intended uses,” and that the state is bound to “exercise ordinary care to maintain the areas adjacent to the highways and shoulders so they are reasonably safe from rockfalls.
      Self described the O’Grady’s as “devastated” following the judge’s decision and said he and his co-counsel, Peter Bersin were “shocked and stunned.” Self told The Ka`u Calendar that the state knew about the potential for the rockfall for years and that the condition was obvious following a separate rockfall there during a 1999 earthquake and by a 2004 study that specified the site as a dangerous rockfall condition. “This accident could have happened to any innocent driver or school bus,” Self said, noting that after the O’Grady’s accident, the state removed the other dangerous rocks for $1,500 paid to a consultant and using state maintenance workers to remove them.
      The state argued that there are more than 100 such rockfall sites along state highways on the Big Island and that the one that hit the O’Grady’s car was not one of the top ten most dangerous.
      O’Grady’s are seeking millions of dollars in medical expenses, wages and future lost wages. She is a speech pathologist, and he is a social worker.
      They claim the state Department of Transportation was negligent when it cut the road through the mountain, leaving rocks and a giant boulder with no place to fall but the highway.

Most Ka`u Coffee farms have been free
of the coffee borer. Photo by Julia Neal

COFFEE FARMERS ARE PROPOSING a tax of a penny a pound on green coffee beans to create a fund to fight the coffee berry borer. The plan would include ridding the island of feral coffee where the borer population could grow untreated. Farmers said they need funding to strip trees, sanitize the farms and apply the fungicide that kills the borers. However, the state Department of Agriculture has warned that the bill could be unconstitutional and could be unenforceable, given lack of funding for policing the situation. The proposal for the tax is coming out of Kona, where farms are hard-hit by the borer.

KA`U, ALONG WITH THE REST of Hawai`i County, has been designated as a primary natural disaster area by the U.S. Department of Agriculture due to ongoing drought conditions, Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced. Last month, Abercrombie applied for the designation, which sets the path for Hawai`i Island ranchers and farmers to apply for available federal relief. 

      Abercrombie said, “by designating Hawai`i County a natural disaster area, President Barack Obama and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have recognized that the island’s farmers and ranchers have endured enough. Even today, Big Island residents continue to experience drought conditions ranging from severe to extreme. The USDA’s assistance will help hard working families recover losses and see it through until conditions improve.”
      Russell Kokubun, chairperson of the Hawai`i Board of Agriculture, said, “a drought can be as catastrophic as a hurricane or flood to a farmer or rancher. This disaster assistance is a lifeline for many of our agriculture producers who have been dealing with severe drought conditions for over six years. We truly appreciate this support from the USDA.”

Recent rains in Ka`u are helpful, but drought
remains. Photo by Julia Neal

      The formal designation was made on Jan. 18. Qualified farm operators in Ka`u and other parts of Hawai`i County can apply for low interest emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency to cover losses due to the drought. Eligible individuals must apply within eight months from the date of the declaration. FSA considers each loan application on its own merits. Additional information is available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
      According to the National Weather Service, Ka`u remains within severe drought parameters, while parts of South Kona District remain within moderate drought conditions.

VOLCANO ART CENTER’S Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village hosts two public events tomorrow. From 10 a.m. to noon, VAC holds a reception for the exhibit Masquerade: The Art of Illusion, available to the public by appointment from today through Feb. 11. For more information or to make an appointment, call 967-8222 or email community@volcanoartcenter.org.
      Tomorrow from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., VAC invites everyone to join Patty Johnson’s free lesson, Medicine for the Mind, on Buddhist healing meditation. For more information, call 985-7470.

A SUPERBOWL TAILGATE PARTY is set for tomorrow from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp’s Lava Lounge in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The event is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests, and park entrance fees apply. For more information call 967-8351.

DUI CHECKPOINTS will be conducted this weekend by Hawai`i Police Department. The movement is part of a national campaign, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 3, 2012

Solar water heaters could be paid for through the electric company. Illustration from Green by Design Hawai`i

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC CO. is disappointed that the state Public Utilities Commission has suspended its Simply Solar proposal to allow the electric company to finance solar water heating panels for customers, who would pay back HECO over time. HECO spokesman Darren Pai said, "the program could help renters and other customers who have not been able to afford to pay for the upfront costs of solar water heating." He said that he is glad that regulators, while initially turning away the HECO program, are willing to consider an on-bill payment program. The PUC deferred any decision on the program saying it did not appear "cost-effective to ratepayers," and that the program requires adjustment.

Safe rooms are required for some houses. Photo from Rhinovault

THE NEW COUNTY BUILDING CODE passed the County Council last night, with council members Brenda Ford and Dominic Yagong voting against the measure. Ford said she wanted more time to help explain the code to those in the public who fear it. She said she would have been open to possibly adding more amendments to make it fit better with needs on this island.  Ford said one of the biggest problems was fear that the penalty section would make violating the building code a full misdemeanor and include jail and fines, versus a petty misdemeanor, which is less drastic.  She said some people were afraid they could be evicted from homes and the county would start a campaign to look for violations. “This is just not going to happen.” Ford noted that the Department of Public Works helps people bring homes up to code. She said about 30 percent of homes on the Big Island are not up to code, either because they are old – some of them built before there were codes - or because some homes and additions to houses were built more recently, sub-code, without permits.
     Ford said she wanted to make sure the penalty section of the building code was for egregious violations. She gave the example of poorly built water tank leaning toward the neighbor’s home. An earthquake could cause the water tank to break and flood the neighbor’s house and possibly kill someone.

The IBC has been considered too
strict by some for Hawai`i's mild
climate.

     Ford said another issue is fear of having to build a safe room designed for protection against hurricanes. She said that under the new code, fewer than 2 percent of new structures would likely require a safe room and these would mostly be expensive indoor-outdoor type houses with floor to ceiling glass doors. The safe room is not required for houses already built, Ford noted.
     Ford said she has been hearing for many months that the International Building Code is incompatible with Hawai`i County and that the council has been struggling to make amendments. She said that Ka`u’s Council member Brittany Smart “did 90 percent of the work to help make it better for the public.” Smart voted for the bill.
     According to a Nancy Cook Lauer story in West Hawai`i Today, testifier Bob Petricci contended that the new code will create more homelessness. “These building codes are a very big part of the reason we have so many foreclosures right now. They have driven the cost of homes so high the people have to borrow money beyond their means just to have what you call an affordable home.”
     The council, however, is required to approve its own building code for Hawai`i County or the statewide building code would go into effect with no amendments tailored to the island’s needs. The council passed the code last night.

RAISING MONEY FOR THE MAYORAL election sees incumbent Billy Kenoi with a big lead over challenger and County Council chair Dominc Yagong. According to campaign finance reports filed with the state, Kenoi raised $328,133 in 2011 while Yagong’s total showed $500. Yagong said, however, his campaigning has never been about how much money he could raise, acknowledging that the mayor raised more in six months than he raised in a dozen years as a member of the County Council. The third candidate for mayor, Ann Marsh, of Honoka`a, just announced and is yet to file a report.
     According to a story by Peter Sur in the Hawai`i Tribune Herald, Kenoi took in a lot of funds from developers, banking, legal and real estate, including representatives from the MacNaughton Group, the Kobayashi Group, Bank of Hawai`i, First Hawaiian Bank and Banc West Corp. Renewable energy companies also contributed, including Big Island Carbon, Puna Geothermal Venture and BioEnergy Hawai`i. Yagong had one donation of $500 that came from Hilo-based Kavana Homes founder Peter Vana.

KA`U HOSPITAL’S MAIN ENTRANCE DOORS have been a problem for years, leaking vog into the building. They are heavy, hard slamming and difficult to open, according to kupuna like Anna Carriaga, who have been complaining directly to state legislators. Sen. Gil Kahele said yesterday that the problem will be fixed soon, that a contract has been signed to install new, vog proof, room sealing doors by June.

Masquerade illustration.

VOLCANO ART CENTER’S Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village hosts two public events this weekend. On Sunday, from 10 a.m. to noon, VAC holds a reception for the exhibit Masquerade: The Art of Illusion, available to the public by appointment from Feb. 4 to Feb. 11. For more information or to make an appointment, call 967-8222 or email community@volcanoartcenter.org.
     This Sunday, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., VAC invites everyone to join Patty Johnson’s lesson, Medicine for the Mind, on Buddhist healing meditation. It’s free. For more info, call 985-7470.

AWARD-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER and wildlife biologist Jack Jeffrey offers sessions of photographing Hawai`i’s natural environment in Volcano Village this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The class entitled Hawai`i Nature Photography: Field-Work, Instructions, and Critique is limited to 10 participants each day. Sponsored by Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, the class is open to both members and non-members. Members are charged $70 for one day or $125 for both days. Non-members are charged $100 for one day or $175 for both days. Students (K through college) can join at half-price. For more call 985-7373 or email institite@fhvnp.org.

A SUPERBOWL TAILGATE PARTY is set for Sunday, from 4 p.m. to 5:30p.m., at Kilauea Military Camp’s Lava Lounge in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The event is open to authorized KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. For more call 967-8351.

Ka'u News Briefs Feb. 2, 2012

Hawai`i Wildlife Fund volunteers scoured the Ka`u Coast and collected over a ton of debris in January. Photo from HWF

MAYOR BILLY KENOI raised more than $140,000 in contributions in the last half of 2011, reported Peter Sur in today’s Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. Kenoi told the reporter that his campaign is based on running a tight county ship and proving to voters that he’s worth four more years.

Dominic Yagong

Mayor Billy Kenoi

      The story also said mayoral candidate Dominic Yagong raised only $500 during the same period. “My campaign has never been about money,” Yagong said. Kenoi has “raised more in six months than I’ve raised in 12 years as a councilman.”
      Ann Marsh, who recently announced her candidacy for mayor, did not report any contributions.

TULSI GABBARD’S campaign for U.S. Congress raised $208,255 in the fourth quarter of 2011. Seventy-four percent of Gabbard’s donors are from Hawai`i, and 60 percent of all donations were $200 or less. The campaign’s fourth-quarter fundraising total represents a 63 percent increase compared with third-quarter numbers. Gabbard is a candidate for Hawai`i’s second congressional district encompassing rural O`ahu and the Neighbor Islands.
      Others who have announced candidacy for U.S. Congress are Mufi Hannemann, Bob Marx and Esther Kia`aina.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION is encouraging parents to complete a survey to help schools set priorities for improving programs and services. Schools are mailing or asking students to bring the surveys home. Parents whose children are enrolled in grades 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 11 are asked to complete the survey and return it to the school in a prepaid envelope by no later than March 30.
      Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said “parental feedback is critical for schools and complex areas to measure the effectiveness of their programs, refine services and make adjustments to meet the needs of all students.” 

Kathryn Matayoshi

      Survey results offer schools data on everything ranging from parent satisfaction with course offerings, support services and availability to discuss their child’s progress to whether students feel safe and are meeting their goals.
      Teachers and students from the selected grades will fill out separate surveys at school. School personnel also will be asked to complete similar surveys.
      Individual survey responses are confidential. Overall survey results for each school should be available at the schools by the end of the academic year. The reports will also be posted at arch.k12.hi.us.
      Questions about the survey may be emailed to sqs@notes.k12.hi.us. Parents may also call 855-276-5801 Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION rules to suspend Simply Solar, according to a news release issued today by Blue Planet Foundation executive director Jeff Mikulina. The Simply Solar proposal, submitted last month by Hawaiian Electric utility companies, “sought approval within sixty days for a $55 million, narrow on-bill repayment program for solar water heaters.”
      The PUC determined that the Simply Solar program “amounts to a pilot on-bill financing program” and stated that the proposed costs “do not appear to be cost-effective to ratepayers, requiring adjustments.” The PUC did not reject the program but instead designated it as a “subset” of the on-bill financing review already in progress. The PUC moved for the program to be considered as a possible “interim option” as part of the current PUC regulatory assessment of a broader, more cost-effective statewide on-bill repayment.

The PUC suspended Hawaiian Electric utilities' solar
water heating proposal to eliminate up-front costs.
Photo from pocosolar.com 

      According to the news release, “on-bill financing is a powerful tool to increase adoption of energy efficiency.” In this case, it would eliminate the up-front cost of solar.
      Mikulina says Blue Planet supports on-bill repayment but agrees with the PUC’s decision to make sure the “program is done right. We appreciate the intent of the utility’s proposal and remain confident that the Simply Solar program can be developed into an effective program that maximizes both cost and energy savings. An intelligent, carefully developed on-bill program will create a robust marketplace for the clean energy industry and lenders, providing economic relief to residents, providing jobs, and reducing carbon pollution.”

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND’S 33 volunteers removed over a ton of debris from the Ka`u Coast during their last beach cleanup on January 14. More than 97 percent of the 46,000 pieces of trash collected were plastic. The next cleanup is on March 10. To sign up, contact Megan Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

Community policing officer Blaine
Morishita. Photo by Nalani Parlin 

OCEAN VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH meets this evening at 7 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Assistant coordinator Arlene Araki said the group hopes to elect new officers tonight and introduce community policing officer Blaine Morishita. She said the group is anxious to give others the opportunity to serve. 

      Deputy prosecutor Mitch Roth values Neighborhood Watch, saying, “Community is more than just eyes and ears; community is part of the problem-solving process.”
      To get involved call Araki at 989-5141.

THE GREEN MARKET at Ocean View Community Center takes place tomorrow and every Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Items available include fresh produce, fruits, herbs, flowers, plants, honey, freshly brewed Ka`u Coffee and more.

SHIZUNO NASU offers a creative dance class this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Class begins with a morning warm-up, and the afternoon focuses on expressive dance movements based on Hara Tanden chi energy. Open to all levels. Advanced registration is advised. Call 967-8222 or email julie@volcanoartcenter.org.

Ka'u News Briefs Feb. 1, 2012

Everyone is invited to join the Ka`u `Ohana Band, which rehearses every Wedneday and Thursday at Ocean View
Community Center. Photo from Ka`u School of the Arts

CONGRESSWOMAN MAZIE HIRONO AND FORMER CONGRESSMAN ED CASE are battling it out for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat that Sen. Dan Akaka will leave at the end of the year. According to a release from Case yesterday, he has raised almost $112,000 for his campaign, while the Hirono camp reports $625,000 in contributions from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. Former Gov. Linda Lingle, who is seeking the Republican nomination, has raised almost $1.8 million.

Ed and Audrey Case

Mazie  Hirono

      According to Civil Beat, the majority of Lingle’s money comes from individuals. However, she is bringing in more money from mainland PACs, the Political Action Committees, than the other candidates. The online news service reports that her war chest took in more than a quarter of a million dollars from 75 Political Action Committees, as filed with the Federal Election Commission. See http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00504159. 

      The only PAC that gave to Lingle that is based in Hawai`i is Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. which provided Lingle with $2,500 and Hirono $3,000. A&B also gave U.S. House of Representatives candidates Mufi Hannemann and Colleen Hanabusa $2,500 each, Civil Beat reports.
      The story also states that many of the PACs contributing to Lingle are inside the Beltway around Washington, D.C. – the place where many lobbyists set up headquarters. Civil Beat is tracking political money during this campaign year, since a new ruling allows corporations and unions unlimited contributions to independently support or oppose candidates and ballot measures. Donations made directly to candidates are still limited.

Linda Lingle

      Civil Beat reports that Lingle has received money from such far away places as Mississippi, where Gov. Haley Barbour’s PAC gave her $10,000; from Arizona, where Sen. John McCain’s Country First PAC gave $5,000; and Kentucky, where Mitch McConnel’s Bluegrass Committee threw in $10,000 to Lingle for the U.S. Senate race here in Hawai`i.
      See more at civilbeat.com.

DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM WASHINGTON, D.C. TO HAWAI`I should make it easier for Ka`u’s representatives in the U.S. House and Senate to come home more often and visit such remote districts as the south end of the Big Island. United Airlines announced yesterday that it will begin direct flights from Dulles Airport outside of Washington to Honolulu beginning June 7. This will be the only direct flight between the two cities, and Hawai`i Tourism Authority CEO Mike McCartney estimates another $135 million a year in visitor spending as a result of the new route. He also pointed to Hawaiian Airline’s recent announcement of a new direct flight beginning June 5 between New York City and Honolulu. Both flights will contribute to more visitors coming here from the East Coast, he said.

LEGALIZED GAMBLING IN HAWAI`I lacks support by the majority of the population, according to a Civil Beat poll. The recent poll of 1,358 likely voters shows that 62 percent would oppose even the one casino in Waikiki that is proposed through a bill before the 2012 Hawai`i State Legislature. Utah and Hawai`i remain the only two states in the U.S. where gambling is prohibited. Supporters of the casino bill state that people in Hawai`i gamble illegally or fly off to Las Vegas to gamble legally, and that much needed state revenue could be garnered by allowing a casino in Waikiki. The bill at the Legislature would allow the state to take a 15 percent tax on gross revenues from gambling and establish a Hawai`i Gaming Control Commission.
      See more at civilbeat.com.

ELECTRIC RATES IN HAWAI`I ROSE 79 PERCENT in a decade, nearly twice as much as in other places in the U.S., reports the U.S. Energy Information Agency. The statistics from 2000 to 2010 show Hawai`i electric rates are the highest in the nation. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser carried the report this morning, showing electric rates rising from 14.03 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2000 to 25.12 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2010. Across the nation, the average electric rate increase over the same decade was 41.9 percent, from 6.81 cents per kilowatt-hour to 9.83 cents per kilowatt-hour. 

      After 2010, the discrepancy became worse, according to the Star-Advertiser story. The national average for electric rates declined. In Hawai`i, electric rates continued to climb to 33.43 cents per kilowatt-hour, as of last November. The national average rate was 9.67 cents per kilowatt-hour.

KA`U `OHANA BAND HOLDS rehearsals today and every Wednesday and Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Ka`u School of the Arts sponsors the band, and everyone is welcome to join. Call 929-7544 for more information.

ALSO AT OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER, certified instructor Erin Cole offers Zumba classes tomorrow and every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Contact Cole at 640-8473 for more information.