Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 22, 2011

Commercial beekeepers working hives yesterday in macadamia orchards up Wood Valley Road. Photo by Julia Neal

AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT is under way for the new Ka`u $16.9 million regional disaster shelter and gym. PBR Hawai`i has been given the contract and is expected to put the EA out to the public for a 30-day review sometime in February, around the same time that the final architectural plan will be completed. Some Pahala residents have received letters from PBR asking how the project might affect them.
     Nearby community members have talked about drainage, should the grass field next to their houses be paved for parking. Water could flow onto the their residential properties instead of sinking into the soil during floods, they contended. However, engineers working on the project said they will be responsible to contain any water and that a variance may be sought to keep much of the grass field unpaved, allowing the water to drain into the soil.
     Surveyors can be seen on the property, just makai of the Ka`u High office building, studying the land for is slope and other measurements needed to design the project.
     Whether parking lot lighting that could shine into the windows of adjacent residents and whether lighting for the parking would disturb the dark Ka`u skies famous for stargazing are other questions.
     Rep. Bob Herkes said funding was raised for the purpose of building a regional disaster shelter and secondarily for athletics for the school and community. Whether the main room – the gym –which could accommodate about 1,000 people – will have the equipment to clean air from vog during athletics and for disaster shelter purposes is still undecided, according to county Public Works director Warren Lee.
     The facility will have a certified kitchen, room for Red Cross supplies and equipment storage, and an emergency communications center, he said. Whether there will be solar photovoltaic electricity and solar hot water to serve the disaster shelter and gym is still on the table, said Lee.
     The roof design, as shown, will be plantation style, and the building will be painted to blend in with the historic campus structures on the Hawai`i Register of Historic Places.

KA`U INTERMEDIATE students will be able to join the After School All Stars program in 2012 to encourage higher academic performance and physical activity. The initiative will create after-school sports leagues for basketball, volleyball and soccer, according to a Dan Nakaso story in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser. There will be no try-outs or cuts, as the program is aimed at participation rather than winning. It focuses on encouraging all children to be physically and academically active. The only limitation is that students will have to maintain a 2.0 grade average to participate in the sports league. When they are not playing sports they will concentrate on studies after school. 

     Some 3,700 students around the state will have the program on their campuses. On this island, other schools are Kea`au and Pahoa. On O`ahu they are Waianae and Nanakuli.

     Keith Amemiya, former executive director of the Hawai`i High School Athletic Association, said he has dreamed of after-school sports for middle school students for years. Now a member of the state school board, he said the program is a three-year pilot and will cost more than $800,000 funded by donations. 

Keith Amemiya

     Amemiya told the Star-Advertiser that ‘the middle school years are just as critical, if not even more important, than the high school years in making sure our students are appropriately engaged and involved in after-school activities…. Students change physically and emotionally. If you lose some of those kids, they may go down the wrong path. By the time they reach high school, it’s difficult to get them back on the right track.” 

     Amemiya also told the Star-Advertiser that the academic side would include classroom-style instruction, rather than monitoring completion of assignments. Social service workers, psychologists and medical professionals will be involved to help out. “A lot of these kids don’t go to the doctor regularly, so we’ll bring healthcare professionals and counselors to them and offer everything from birth certificates to Social Security cards,” Amemiya said. “We firmly believe that sports and other after-school activities teach teamwork, discipline, perseverance, hard work and accountability. But we’re using athletics as a tool to help students academically as well as in other areas to help their development.
     “The ultimate goal is to roll out this program to every middle school across the state. Already some other complex areas have expressed interest in starting their own middle school athletic programs,” he told the Star-Advertiser.

HAWAI`I SCHOOLS MUST SHOW IMPROVEMENT during a comprehensive federal review in January or risk losing the $75 million Race to the Top grant. A letter from the U.S. Department of Education yesterday said, “We are placing Hawai`i’s Race to the Top grant on high-risk status. The letter, addressed to Gov. Neil Abercrombie, noted “Hawai`i’s unsatisfactory performance during the first 14 months of the grant.”
     The federal DOE also put the state on cost-reimbursement status, meaning that the state must carry out programs and pay for them before receiving the grant funds.
     State school board members and DOE officials said they would work hard on meeting the federal demands to keep the Race to the Top grant.

A BAN ON PLASTIC BAGS provided at retail check-out counters, with the exception of use for meat and produce, passed the County Council yesterday. Plastic bags would still be for sale in stores. The measure, authored by Council member Pete Hoffmann, passed with a five to three vote. Ka`u Council member Brittany Smart voted for the measure, as did South Kona Council member Brenda Ford. Council chair Dominic Yagong, who works for Foodland, abstained. Voting against the measure were J Yoshimoto, Dennis Onishi and Donald Ikeda. The measure goes to Mayor Billy Kenoi for his signature.

Alison Yahna teaches the art of beekeeping.
Photo from www.artemissmiles.com

DROUGHT, SMALL HIVE BEETLES AND VARROA MITES have hit bee colonies hard in Ka`u, according to beekeeper Alison Yahna, who has stopped selling honey to rebuild the bee colonies. She said that after the long drought and invasions by pests, the bees need their honey for energy to survive. Yahna said more than 50 percent of her colonies have survived. Islandwide, more than 70 percent of feral and managed hives have been lost. First the varroa mite came in with viruses that weakened colonies, then came the small hive beetle that preyed on weak colonies already infested by the varroa mite. Hilo and Puna were hardest hit, she said. 

     Yahna said that while her hives were affected, she predicts that they will hold their own without being treated. Once the nectar flow starts from the rains, “I will be working to rebuild colonies from my survivor queens which will hopefully have more resistance to these pests.”
     She asks that people who see bees swarming call her at 929-8117. She said that people are reporting fewer bees in their gardens. See more on her honeybee sanctuary at www.artemissmiles.com.

Reefer keeper
Kaohi Mokuhali`i

PIPIKAULA IS BEING SOLD to help raise funds to keep the Ka`u Reefer in Na`alehu open. Kaohi Mokuhali`i is selling the old Hawaiian-style, marinated sun-dried beef in one- and two-pound packages for $10 a pound. Contact her at 938-9040 or kmokuhalii@yahoo.com, or Carol Massey at 929-9001 or masseys2@hawaii.rr.com.

THE PAHALA AND WAI`OHINU transfer stations, along with all others on the island, will be closed this Sunday, Christmas Day. 

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 21, 2011

Manuel Marques claims thieves stole his coffee cherries, worth up to $10,000. Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U COFFEE FARMER MANUEL MARQUES claims that as much as $10,000 in coffee cherries were stolen from his Cloud Rest farm. He said yesterday that the loss was more than police reported. He contended that thieves did not touch the ripe coffee cherries on the rim of his farm so he would not notice that the coffee cherries were missing inside his orchard. He said it would have taken days for pickers to steal the cherries. He also claimed that thieves showed no regard for the trees or ripping branches. and took both green and red cherries. Marques, whose Ka`u Rainforest Coffee has won international awards, said he has crop insurance but it doesn't cover theft. "I will just have to take the loss," he said. Neighboring farmers said they have suffered no such loss on their farms and didn't see any unusual activity. The Hawai`i Police Department is asking for information regarding the report and Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for clues that lead to solving of case. According to the police press release, the theft took place between 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 9 and 7:30 a.m. Dec. 11. Marques said yesterday that thieves may have been in his coffee field longer than he estimated when he made the initial police report.

Traditional rooflines for the new gym and disaster shelter in Pahala shown in preliminary sketch.

DESIGN OF THE NEW KA`U GYMNASIUM AND DISASTER SHELTER was tweaked and revised last night with public input during a charrette in Pahala. Under discussion is the possibility of making the facility more open with outdoor lobby and gathering areas. One option would separate the public recreation rooms from the main gym, locker room, fitness and wrestling room. Public recreation rooms would be parallel to the existing tennis courts with an access road between them. Another grassy area would separate this complex from the main gym. The entire complex would be more than 40,000 square feet in size. It would be located just makai of the school offices.

A layout of the gym after public charrette on Monday.

Another layout with more open space will be

created following last night's meeting.

CONCRETE WILL BE THE MAIN BUILDING MATERIAL for the gym and regional disaster shelter to meet Hurricane Category Three and Earthquake Four Standards. Whether the air in the main gym could be cleaned from vog is still on the table. However, air will be cleaned in the smaller rooms, which planners said, would be easier to control.
              The roofline will match those of the campus buildings that have been placed on the Hawai`i Register of Historic Places. Planners had proposed a kind of Parker Ranch red wood grain siding to be attached to the concrete structure to give a more traditional look. However, members of the public said that a smooth concrete finish would be fine, particularly if it would save money to be put into the functionality of the gym. Members of the public also said that the roofline is the most important architectural statement to keep the building in harmony with Pahala village. The color of the building should be beige or light green to fit in with the other campus buildings said County Parks and Recreation Director Robert A. Fitzgerald.
      The floor of the gym will be made of wood and the layout will include an NCAA size basketball court that can also be used as three volleyball courts. There will be a wrestling/judo room, a place for sports rehab and fitness/weight room and an athletic director’s office.
      The gym will be designed with a portable stage that can be pulled out for community events. A cover will be stored onsite and pulled out to protect the wood floor during community events. With the bleachers and chairs, 1,000 people could gather in the gym. The design will provide for fresh air circulation and possibly air cleaning for voggy days. However, there is concern that the cost of cleaning air could be too expensive for the entire gym.

Public Works director Warren

Lee came to Pahala twice this

week for input on the gym

and disaster shelter.

PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER is also on the table. Architect and engineering firm representative Aaron Fujii said that there may not be enough roof area to power up the building with photovoltaics. Public Works director Warren Lee noted that the West Hawai`i Civic Center photovoltaic system is working well, but was funded by a private business, which sells electricity to the county for a lower rate than the utility. He said photovoltaics could be considered and mentioned that an initiative on Kaua`i will provide photovoltaics for some of the public schools there.

Athletic Director Kalei

Namohala contributes to design

of new gym and disaster shelter

in Pahala.

LIGHTING THE PARKING AREA was also brought up and planners noted that the entire island is covered by regulations to protect the night skies. The county may ask its planning department for a variance to allow overflow parking on the grassy area on the makai side of the gym. The rule is one parking stall for every four permanent seats in the gym. More than 100 stalls are located on the Parks and Recreation parking lot near the football field and around the perimeter of the gym site, the library and tennis court area.
      Ka‘u High athletic director Kalei Namohala said the school wants to keep the current wrestling and weight room building as a possible future classroom. Planners moved the footprint of the new gym to leave the old building in place.

MORE PERSONAL INCOME IS GOING FOR HOUSING than perhaps ever before, according to the 2011 Hawai`i Housing Study, recently released by state and county housing agencies.
      Statewide, about 28 percent of households pay more than 40 percent of their income just to have a place to live. On the Big Island,. where housing is less expensive than other islands, 25 percent of households pay more than 40 percent of income for housing. However, 20 years ago, they paid 11.5 percent of income, and in 2006, they paid 22 percent of income to have a home, showing housing costs have risen steeply for rents and mortgages. In order to get more people into home ownership, the Hula Mae state housing program plans to offer assistance with down payments beginning next year. See more at http://hawaii.govdbedt/hhfdc.

Final council map puts Brittany
Smart and Brenda Ford in same
County Council District 6.

FINAL DISCUSSION ON the County Council Redistricting Map will be held by the Redistricting Commission at a meeting tomorrow, Dec. 22, at 10 a.m. in Hilo.
      The final map moves incumbent council member Brenda Ford into District 6, which pits her against incumbent council member Brittany Smart, should they both choose to run again for the council seat which includes all of Ka`u.

DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS on the Kawa Drainage Project is this Friday, Dec. 23. Comments are being taken on the Environmental Assessment to raise Hwy 11 some ten feet above grade to 46 feet above sea level. An 84-foot-wide culvert, eight feet high, would be placed beneath the highway.
      Comments can be sent to the state Department of Transportation’s Hawai`i District Office, 50 Maka`ala Street, Hilo, HI 96720.
      The draft EA is available at Pahala and Na`alehu public libraries, and online at http://hawaii.gov/ health/environmental/oeqc/index.html.

Haunani's Aloha Expressions entertain tonight

 at Volcano. Photo from HVNP

HAUNANI'S ALOHA EXPRESSIONS hula troupe shares its aloha from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. The Hawaiian kane and wahine kupuna, who make all of their own colorful costumes and lei and sing and dance hapa-haole hula, have performed at the park’s annual cultural festival for many years.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP holds a Christmas Day Brunch this Sunday, Dec 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Cafe in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The menu includes: baked chicken with mushroom sauce, pasta carbonara, breakfast delights and more. Tickets to the event cost $15.95 for adults and $8.50 for children ages 6 to 11. Park entrance fees may apply. Call 967-8356 for more information.

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 20, 2011

Traditional roofline shown on preliminary design of the new Ka`u shelter and gym to be built makai of the campus offices.

PRELIMINARY PLANS for the new Ka`u regional disaster shelter and community and school gym went to the public last night, and community members are invited to join the discussion again tonight from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pahala School cafeteria. 

     Preliminary drawings show rooflines similar to other buildings on the historic campus. Tentative size is 40,000 square feet. Tentative site is just makai of the parking lot in front of the school office building, keeping it away from houses surrounding the campus.
     Preliminary design would allow for the entire student body and guests – more than 700 people – to sit in bleachers on one side of the gym facing a stage for community events. During basketball and volleyball tournaments, the stage would be removed, and bleachers would be extended toward the court. Bleachers on the other side would be partially retracted to complete seating on both sides of the gym. 

Planners may apply for a variance to allow grassy
overflow parking areas to remain around the new gym.

     Planners said existing parking may help meet requirements of one stall for every four seats in the gym bleachers. With 700 seats, 175 parking stalls would be required. Parking lots closest to the football field, the offices and the school library may qualify.
     Department of Public Works director Warren Lee said it may be possible to apply with the county Planning Department for a variance to allow overflow parking on the grassy area around the gym. This could retain some of the village green atmosphere for outdoor recreation around the gym and overflow parking during busy events. The grassy area has been used for overflow since the school was opened. Having grass instead of pavement may also save the expense of paving parking lots, and the money could be put into the actual gym, said Aaron Fujii, chief operating officer of the consulting architecture and engineering firm Mitsunaga & Associates.
     Concerning vog protection, an air cleaning system would be installed for bad air days. It would filter air coming into the gym and push out the foul air, said Fujii. He said locker rooms, wrestling, judo, fitness and community activities rooms could be air conditioned to eliminate vog.
     County Department of Parks & Recreation planners said they have been working hard to design the gym for tournament play. Guy Enriques, who has coached volleyball at Ka`u and Kamehameha School in Kea`au, suggested that planners look at the Kamehameha School-Kea`au gym for design ideas.

Park planners, coaches and the school athletic director
put their heads together on court design.

     Ka`u High athletic director Kalei Namohala also said she wanted courts for tournament play. They all agreed that a tentative plan would be for an NCAA-size basketball court, which could convert to three volleyball courts. County planners noted that a gymnasium designed to host tournaments could bring teams to the school and create income for the community. They referred to tournaments in Kona that each can bring in some $50,000 to the community.
     Planners also talked about constructing the building to withstand category three hurricanes with up to 115 mph-winds. Fujii said that he would like to plant trees around the building, but that disaster shelter status requires keeping trees away from the structure. Whether trees would have to be cut down on the campus remains a question. So does the plan to make the building earthquake-proof. Another issue is the degree of lighting that would be required for parking and whether it would protect the dark night skies of Ka`u.
     The discussion continues with the public this evening from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pahala School cafeteria. Everyone is invited. This will be a community center open to everyone and operated by the county Department of Parks & Recreation. The state has already released more than $16 million to the county to build it.
     Planners hope to have the design and engineering done by spring and construction sometime next year.

A KA`U COFFEE FARMER has called police claiming that 2,000 to 4,000 pounds of coffee cherry were stripped from trees. Police are investigating and seeking information on the case, and anyone with information can call the non-emergency line at 935-3311. Anonymous tipsters may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 and could receive a $1,000 reward.
     According to a release from the police department, the farmer claimed that one or more persons entered a property off an old cane haul road above Pahala sometime between 5:30 p.m. Dec. 9 and 7:30 a.m. Dec. 11. Trees were damaged, and the loss is estimated between $3,300 and $6,600, the farmer contended.

John and Hope Keawe

KILAUEA VISITOR CENTER AUDITORIUM in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park will be filled with Hawaiian music and hula tonight and tomorrow night. John and Hope Keawe perform at After Dark in the Park tonight at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Donations of two dollars support park programs. Park entrance fees apply. 

     Tomorrow, Haunani’s Aloha Expressions share their aloha from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Hawaiian kane and wahine kupuna, who make all of their own colorful costumes and lei and sing and dance hapa-haole hula, have performed at the park’s annual cultural festival for many years.

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 19, 2011

Three red Radio Flyer wagons, put together by contractor Mike Munnerlyn and Mona Chow, were the grand prizes
for children at Christmas in Pahala, where businesses and community members donated for families needing help
with affording Christmas gifts. Photo by Julia Neal

THE NEW SCHOOL GYM & DISASTER SHELTER for Ka`u is the subject of public meetings today and tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Pahala School Cafeteria. This is a meeting in which the community can personally meet the planners from the county, state and engineering and architecture firm. The governor has already released more than $16 million for the county to use to build the regional disaster shelter and community center to be operated by the county Department of Parks & Recreation. Community comments to date have included making the building fit in with the historic village and equipping the main building with the ability to clean the air during bad vog days and during a disaster and fresh air at other times. Other suggestions include building a stage for community events and a fitness room for school athletics and the community, designing parking lot lighting that will not affect the night skies in Ka`u, and limiting the pavement for parking on the open field where the community has been parking on the grass for big events at the school.
     Another question is whether there will be a commission for public art on the site. The state’s Art in Public Places program usually sets aside one percent of the cost of a public building for a sculpture or other work of art. However, the money being given to the county may put the decision on whether to commission the art in the hands of the county. 

A sculpture by Randy Shiroma, who
will create a work of art for the
Pahala school grounds.

A SCULPTURE BY VOLCANO ARTIST Randy Shiroma was recently commissioned by the state Foundation of Culture and the Arts unconnected with the shelter and gym project. The $100,000 commission includes an artist in the schools program in which Shiroma will be teaching at the public schools in Pahala and getting to know the community before coming up with a design for the sculpture on the school grounds. Other public works of art at the school include two paintings that were provided from the state’s collection for the school office and a sculpture outside of the Pahala library that was put there in the 1970s but removed when it deteriorated. There are apparently no other Art in Public Places commissions in Ka`u outside of the school office. 

INTERISLAND SHIPPING COSTS will go up again. The Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission has approved an increase of 16.58 percent. Young Brothers wanted more, stating that cargo volume has fallen short of its forecasts. PUC chair Mina Morita said “the Commission strives to balance a utility’s financial health with adequate service at reasonable rates. We recognize that rate increases are difficult for customers, especially in today’s economic climate, but regular cargo service is critical in maintaining economic activity throughout Hawai`i.” The Commission’s decision approved rate increases in the container, flatracks/platforms, automobile, roll-on/roll-off cargo, G-Vans, and other less than container-load cargo categories, at various percentages; allowed other changes to Young Brothers’ tariff; and granted use, subject to conditions, of a new internal financial closing schedule. The PUC re-stated its authority to examine Young Brothers’ actual earnings to ensure that earnings do not result in a windfall in an improved economy where actual cargo volume surpasses the forecasted cargo demand relied upon to determine the approved rate increase. More detail about Young Brothers’ application can be found on the PUC’s website, puc.hawaii.gov, on the Select Dockets page. (See Docket No. 2010-0171.) 

MORE AUSTRALIANS are expected to visit this Big Island from their big island south of here. New flights from Australia to Hawai`i were just announced by Air Australia. As with Alaskans who seem to like the Big Island for its open space and mountains, Australians are expected to enjoy the Big Island for its grand landscape. The new flights will come from Melbourne and Brisbane. Current flights from Australia come from Sydney. 

MONEY COLLECTED THROUGH THE COUNTY’S HI-5 recycling program is being distributed to 10 Big Island nonprofits. The funds were accumulated from recyclers who turned away the cash when they took their cans and bottles to redemption centers.
     O Ka`u Kakou is one of the recipients of the funds. President Wayne Kawachi, a long-time recycler, said the donation, designated by Wai`ohinu workers, will be useful for a number of the organization’s projects. “We take care of cemeteries,” he said. “We are doing rock walls around the cemeteries. The money could go for that.” Or, he said, they could cover the cost of a couple of months’ rental of portable toilets at Punalu`u Black Sand Beach or South Point, another of the organization’s costs. Another alternative, he said, would be to use the money for the projects the group undertakes helping senior citizens complete maintenance and safety projects around their homes. 

The band Keaiwa offered music at Christmas in Pahala.

CHRISTMAS IN PAHALA drew hundreds of residents to Kamani Street last night. Organized by Keala Kailiawa, the celebration included the music of Demetrius Oliveira and the band Keaiwa. The Holy Rosary Church’s Harmonies choir arrived on a float and sang Christmas carols. Keiki sat on Santa’s lap. Local businesses and residents provided gifts for needy families, including red Radio Flyer wagons, a tricycle, grill, Ka`u Coffee Mill coffee, Punalu`u cookies, Oven Treats, lunch bags, children’s books, volleyballs, toys and Hawaiian CDs. O Ka`u Kakou provided popcorn and shave ice. KAHU Radio donated many presents. The Kailiawa family donated stew. Residents donated turkeys, hams, bags of rice and other gifts. Olson Trust donated gift certificates from KTA and the community Christmas tree that will light up Kamani Street at Pahala Plantation Cottages through New Year’s Eve.

Santa had a helper at Christmas in Pahala last
night by the lighted tree on Kamani Street.

A PROPOSAL TO REVISE MONK SEAL critical habitat designations is open for public comment until Jan. 6, 2012. Except for areas excluded for national security reasons, the proposal extends critical habitat from the 200-meter depth contours to the 500-meter depth contours surrounding the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the main Hawaiian Islands. It also includes previously excluded Sand Island at Midway. 

     The National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which submitted the proposal, is responsible for ensuring the survival and recovery of the endangered monk seal. NOAA Fisheries, in partnership with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, has worked for more than 20 years to address the monk seal’s decline. However, 40 percent of its population has been lost in the last ten years, and it is facing the threat of extinction, according to NOAA. The agency reports that only about 1,100 seals remain, and an additional four percent of the population is lost each year.
     The proposal, identified as 0648-BA81, can be read at www.regulations.gov. Comments can be submitted at the website or sent to Regulatory Branch Chief, Protected Resources Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI, 96814. 

THE DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS on the Kawa Drainage Project is this Friday, Dec. 23. Comments are being taken on the Environmental Assessment to raise Hwy 11 some ten feet above grade to 46 feet above sea level. An 84-foot-wide culvert, eight feet high, would be placed beneath the highway.
     Comments can be sent to the state Department of Transportation’s Hawai`i District Office, 50 Maka`ala Street, Hilo, HI 96720.
     The draft EA is available at Pahala and Na`alehu public libraries, and online at http://hawaii.gov/ health/environmental/oeqc/index.html.

Harmonies Choir from Holy Rosary Church arrived at Christmas in Pahala
on a float and sang carols.

JOHN AND HOPE KEAWE ring in the holidays with their music, hula and aloha spirit at After Dark in the Park tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Donations of two dollars support park programs. Park entrance fees apply. 

THE LIGHTS AND COTTAGE DECORATIONS at Kilauea Military Camp cottages are up, and the public is invited to vote on the best. The effort was made by the staff of KMC. Those who enjoy the stroll along the cottage row can receive a Holiday Dollar redeemable at various KMC venues.

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 18, 2011

Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative president Gloria Camba (l) and coffee grower Lorie Obra dance for the co-op's
Christmas party last night. Photo by Julia Neal

NO GERRYMANDERING OCCURRED, members of the County Council Redistricting Commission stated on Friday, according to a story in the Hawai`i Tribune Herald. County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi had asked the Commission to convene to explain its process. This followed perceptions that the Commission may have moved boundaries of a draft redistricting map to make sure that incumbents and political allies J Yoshimoto and Dennis Onishi would not have to run against each other in the election next year. The change in the draft plan came after Onishi sent out 40 to 50 emails noting that the draft map could pit them against one another in the next election. After the emails were sent, the Commission changed the map to separate their districts. According to the Jason Armstrong story, commissioner Mike Middlesworth stated that the purpose was to move lines “a little bit to eliminate that tail” forming the area mauka of the Kupulau Road-Ainaola Drive intersection in Hilo.
     The final map does leave incumbent council members Brittany Smart and Brenda Ford in a position where they would have to face each other should they both decide to run again for the District 6 Council seat which includes all of Ka`u.

Sen. Dan Inouye and Gov. Neil Abercrombie work on
federal recognition for Hawaiian. Photo by Julia Neal

A LAST-DITCH EFFORT FOR FEDERAL RECOGNITION OF NATIVE HAWAIIANS was rejected by the U.S. Senate last week. The House had earlier jettisoned the Akaka Bill, which is widely known as the proposal to recognize Hawaiians. After the rejection, Inouye put his own version into a Department of Interior funding measure, but the House added on “a variety of devastating anti-environmental riders, which, if the Senate accepted, would have set back our nation’s air and water protections for many years to come,” Inouye said.
     “The Hawaiian recognition provision embraced the excellent work of the state Legislature in beginning the process of Native Hawaiian self-determination and recognition,” Inouye said in his statement.
     “I will continue to fight for federal recognition for Native Hawaiians, and I will work with the other members of the Hawai`i delegation to plan our next move,” Inouye said.

SCHOOL BUS PROVIDERS may be changing in Ka`u as new companies have been bidding against each other for contracts around the state, according to a report in Civil Beat this weekend. Hawaiian Discovery, which is based on the Big Island, and Wasatch Transportation, Inc., which is based in Utah, won some of the routes traditionally held by Roberts and other local companies. Akita Enterprises beat out Roberts on some East Hawai`i routes, and Hawaiian Discovery won some West Hawai`i routes, according to Civil Beat, which has been investigating lack of competition and the runaway cost of school bus services.

Dennis Kamakahi's music is featured on the soundtrack of The Descendants,
which is up for five Golden Globe awards. Photo by Julia Neal

THE DESCENDANTS, a film set in Hawai`i with a soundtrack featuring Hawaiian singers and slack key players very familiar to Ka`u residents, has won five Golden Globe nominations. It features music by Dennis Kamakahi, who teaches at workshops in Pahala and plans to move to Na`alehu within a year. Also on the soundtrack are Cyril Pahinui and the late Gabby Pahinui. The Descendants is nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Actor for George Clooney, Best Supporting Actress for Shalene Woodley and Best Screenplay and Best Director for Alexander Payne. The film has also won numerous critics awards. 

      The Descendants is about a land baron faced with the decision on whether to sell off some of the last undeveloped coastal land in Hawai`i that was handed down within his family from the early missionaries. 

One Journey, the Brown Bags to Stardom winner, played for the Ka`u Coffee
co-op with singer Eunice Longakit, who plans to major in music in college
and Moses Espaniola III, who teaches `ukulele free each Sunday at the
Old Pahala Clubhouse. Photo by Julia Neal 

THE KA`U COFFEE GROWERS COOPERATIVE celebrated a year of success yesterday at its annual Christmas Party. Co-op president Gloria Camba encouraged farmers to keep up the good quality that has given them top awards in the state and the nation and such markets as high-end gourmet buyers and Starbucks. Chris Manfredi, who manages the land where many of the farmers grow their coffee, reviewed the marketing success. The award-winning One Journey band performed, courtesy of Ka`u Coffee Mill, kupuna offered up hula and keiki sang and danced. Many local businesses donated gifts for the event. 

THE COUNTY OF HAWAI`I is currently in the process of soliciting grant applications from qualified nonprofit organizations for fiscal year 2012-2013, which begins July 1, 2012. Each year Hawai`i County designates a minimum of $900,00 to be allocated to qualified organizations. Applications and all supporting documentation must be received by the Department of Finance’s administration by January 31, 2012. 

     For more information on qualifications and how to apply, visit the Nonprofit Grant Form page at www.hawaiicounty.gov/fn-nonprofit-grant-forms or contact Karen Eoff at 323-4280 or 323-4264.


     Additionally, the County of Hawai`i is able to offer free access to its Grants Network subscription to community groups that are located and serve within Hawai`i County. This educational service helps nonprofits find grants and offers other educational support on tracking and reporting grants. For more information, contact the county Department of Research and Development at 961-8366. 

Christmas in Pahala will be held
tonight at 5:30 p.m. on Kamani
St. around the lighted Christmas
tree. Photo by Julia Neal

CHRISTMAS IN PAHALA is this evening at 5:30 p.m. on Kamani Street next to the lighted tree with caroling, gifts and refreshments. Gifts for families who would not otherwise be able to afford a Merry Christmas are being accepted to be distributed this evening through lucky number drawings. Gifts include some bikes, wagons, a grill, Ka`u Coffee and many locally made products as well as gift certificates for food. Everyone is invited.

THE NEW REGIONAL DISASTER SHELTER and gymnasium for the community and schools in Pahala is open for design questions and suggestions from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the school cafeteria tomorrow and Tuesday. More than $16 million has been approved for the county to develop the project on the school campus. Questions include whether the gym will be set up to clean the air from vog, and whether there will be amenities such as a stage, workout room, and disaster communications center. Will the project pave then entire green field around the proposed gym site, and will any parking lot lighting protect the night skies and stargazing in Ka`u? A wooden floor for the gym and a design that fits in with the historic nature of the village have also been suggested by community members.

JOHN AND HOPE KEAWE ring in the holidays with their music, hula and aloha spirit at After Dark in the Park this Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Donations of two dollars support park programs. Park entrance fees apply.

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 17, 2011

NANI KAHUKU `AINA RESORT’S Draft Environmental Impact Statement for hotels, condominiums, golf course, estates and commercial centers on 16,000 acres between South Point and Ocean View, makai of  Hwy 11 and extending to the Ka`u Coast, has drawn comment from the county planning director. 

Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd

     Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd asks the developers to discuss how the resort would fulfill the county General Plan’s objectives and policies, which include the following: discourage intensive development in areas of high volcanic hazard; encourage urban development within existing zoned areas already served by basic infrastructure, or close to such areas instead of scattered development; and that lands currently designated Resort should be utilized before new resorts are allowed in undeveloped coastal areas.
     To proceed at Nani Kahuku `Aina, developers would need land use classification changes, including taking land out of Conservation near the coast.
     The planning director wrote that the Draft EIS “lacks sufficient detail to assess impacts” regarding its proposed Hawaiian Heritage Center, its Mauka Community Facilities Reserve, its Mixed-Use Village and related infrastructure and ancillary improvements.
     The Planning Department asks the developer to address a number of issues before submitting its Final EIS. 

Nani Kahuku `Aina developer Katherine Peroff
with Heritage Center planner Herb Lee

     A PROMISE TO OPERATE A NONPROFIT organization for cultural and environmental purposes needs more detail, the county says.
     Writes the planning director, “While we appreciate the applicant’s offer to donate a portion of sales and operations revenues to the Kahuku Hawaiian Heritage Center, because the KHHC is so central to the project’s marketability, success, and management of natural and cultural resources, much more detail about building the KHHC’s long-term capacity and viability is needed.”
     County planners also ask about a proposed Integrated Natural and Cultural Resources Management Plan, saying it is “referenced multiple times in the Draft EIS as a measure to protect natural and cultural resources and to mitigate impacts of development and public use on coastal and marine resources, ponds, flora and fauna.” The planning director asks for specific protection and mitigation measures to be included in the Final EIS.
     PROTECTING THE SHORELINE CONSERVATION ZONE is another subject that needs more explanation from the developer, the planning director says.
     She also calls for a more detailed survey of the Ka`u and Hawai`i Island communities to determine the cultural significance of the site, “including sacred associations with open space and the physical landscape as well as contemporary cultural activities at the site, including Native Hawaiian spiritual, cultural and recreational practices.”
     The planning director asks for an analysis of impacts on public facilities and services and how they will be mitigated “above and beyond simply donating land.”
     She also asks for written documentation from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs describing the facility that the developers promise will be built for vets.

Nani Kahuku `Aina project
manager Aaron Eberhardt

     EVACUATION DURING DISASTERS is another concern of the Planning Department, particularly should there be lava inundation. County planners note that communities in Florida establish population density caps based on evacuation clearance rates in high hazard areas. If development is proposed resulting in density greater than the caps, mitigation is required, either in improving evacuation routes and/or keeping the population below the cap. The planning director asks the developer to define the evacuation clearance rate for the area, propose an appropriate density limit for the proposed Nani Kahuku resort site and identify related mitigation strategies.
     She also asks about traffic impacts of the proposed resort, plans to generate power, and analysis of hazards related to the adjacent Pakini bombing range and possible unexploded ordnance.
     HAWAIIAN TRAILS need analysis, the planning department says, asking for a legal and ownership analysis, mapping of the existing and proposed trail system, and a timeline for developing a shoreline access plan, parking, and proposed hours the access would be open to the public.
     Numerous public comments have been submitted concerning the draft EIS, which can be read on the state Department of Health’s website under the Office of Environmental Quality Control. 

     THE DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS on the Kawa Drainage Project is Friday, Dec. 23. Comments are being taken on the Environmental Assessment to raise Hwy 11 some ten feet above grade to 46 feet above sea level. An 84-foot-wide culvert, eight feet high, would be placed beneath the highway.
     Comments can be sent to the state Department of Transportation’s Hawai`i District Office, 50 Makaala Street, Hilo, HI 96720.
     The draft EA is available at Pahala and Na`alehu public libraries, and online at http://hawaii.gov/ health/environmental/oeqc/index.html.

THE KEIKI CHRISTMAS PARTY at Ocean View Community Center begins at 11 a.m. this morning. Everyone is invited to this free event, which includes food, music, gifts for every child under 12 and a visit from Santa.

A CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR and swap meet takes place tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ka`u Castle between mile markers 67 and 68 on Hwy 11.

THE LIGHTED CHRISTMAS TREE on Kamani Street is the site of Christmas in Pahala tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. Donations are being taken for needy families who otherwise might not be able to afford a happy Christmas. Canned foods, turkeys, toys, gift certificates and beverages can be donated by calling Keala Kailiawa at 928-0500 or Pahala Plantation Cottages at 928-9811, or dropping donations by KAHU community radio station on Maile Street.

Proposed location for the disaster shelter and gym is the open field at the entrance to Ka`u High. Photo by Julia Neal

DESIGN OF THE SHELTER AND GYM at Ka`u High School is the topic of the charrette this Monday and Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the school cafeteria. The public is invited to see current plans and offer input for this multi-million dollar project to be built next year.

Ka'u News Briefs Dec. 16, 2011

A public meeting on the design of a disaster shelter and gym to be built on open space next to Ka`u High School
will be held Monday and Tuesday at the school cafeteria from 5 p.m to 8 p.m. Photo by Julia Neal

THE REGIONAL DISASTER SHELTER, soon to be built in Pahala as a community center and gymnasium for Ka`u High School, is the subject of a public input meeting called a charrette this coming Monday and Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the school cafeteria. Comments are already coming in. Rep. Bob Herkes sent in testimony reviewing the history of the legislation that he championed and restating the purpose of the facility. “The need for the disaster shelter was obvious due to the size of Ka`u and no other such facilities. The Ka`u school complex was selected due to its central location and the daily population of the school on a normal school day,” he writes.
     Herkes asks, “Is this to be a ‘disaster shelter’ or a safe gathering place for natural disasters in Ka`u such as a fire that threatened residential areas in Ka`u, a lava flow that imperiled areas such as Ocean View or a similar event where impacted citizens could be safe and a place to stay? The concept was to have a section of the building secured to contain a 24/7 communication facility, an emergency generation facility, and storage for cots, medical supplies, water, MREs and other such amenities for Civil Defense purposes.
     “The remainder of the facility would normally be used as a gymnasium and for various community gatherings.” 

Bob Herkes

     Herkes suggests, “If time and funding permits, it would be useful to have an analysis of any natural disaster that might impact the site for the purpose of building hardening. Scientists should do this analysis based upon their ability to map natural disasters for intensity and frequency.”
     Other suggestions about the facility include keeping a green area around the shelter gym for a buffer to the adjoining residential housing and for overflow parking rather than covering the grounds with pavement, parking stalls and light poles. Preserving the night skies of Ka`u with little or low impact lighting for the parking lot and grounds is another suggestion.
     Other ideas from the community include designing the building with the ability to clean the air in the gym during bad vog days; providing photovoltaic panels so that power would be available if cut off from the electric company; providing a stage for community events; including a certified kitchen for community groups, students and to help feed people who may be sheltered there; and designing the building to fit in with the historic nature of the community.

REP. BOB HERKES said yesterday that he will work hard at the state Legislature which opens in January to modify the state building code to make it easier for people to have homes. “I don’t want people living in cars, vans and tents,” he said. “I want them to have four walls and a roof over their heads.” He said the building code makes construction too expensive for many people. He pointed to the hardening of buildings for hurricanes on this island, when there have been no hurricanes hitting here in recent history.
     “I’m going to blow up the building code,” Herkes said.

QUIRINO ANTONIO will become the new manager and chief engineer of the county Department of Water Supply when Milton Pavao retires at the end of the year. The Board of Water Supply voted to appoint Antonio at last night’s meeting. He is currently the deputy director of the Water Department.

Melanie Bondera

THE KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT hui met yesterday with Laulima Center’s Melanie Bondera, a Rural Cooperative Development Specialist. Laulima, under the Kohala Center, is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Cooperative Development grant and the Ulupono Initiative. Laulima serves all sectors of the rural community and is managed by The Kohala Center. 

     Bondera offered her services to help organize cooperatives or similar organizations to help manage the water resources. Farmers and ranchers have been meeting for five years to plan and fund restoration and improvement of old plantation water systems that were built, some of them more than 100 years ago, by the sugar companies that wound up business here more than 15 years ago.
     Bondera said she could help reach out to all farmers and ranchers and other possible non-residential users of old plantation water systems that are being restored in the mountains between Kapapala Ranch and Wai`ohinu. Water users in each of the areas are organizing to manage the water resources and ensure that everyone has access. It is important for everyone to participate so they are included, she said. Anyone interested in participating can call Jeff McCall at 928-6456.

Suzanne Marinelli gave a workshop last night showing
how easy it is to submit testimony and follow progress
of legislation. Photo by Julia Neal

SUBMITTING TESTIMONY and following the state Legislature in action next session will be much easier on the Internet. Public Access coordinator Suzanne Marinelli led a workshop last night at Na`alehu Elementary School cafeteria. The website makes it easy to look up any subject to find out what legislation is proposed and how it is succeeding or failing with the lawmakers. Citizens can read all the testimony from lobbyists and the public that is sent to the legislators and follow the voting by senators and representatives. Testimony is easy to submit on any bill online. Marinelli said that Hawai`i is one of the few states where the public can testify by email. The workshop is also available online at http://hawaii.gov/lrb/par. 

     See the new legislative website at www.capitol.hawaii.gov.

Kilauea can be an explosive volcano for long
periods of time. Illustration from USGS

IF KILAUEA’S CAULDERA should begin to sink, it may be time to watch out for an explosive eruption. Such eruptions could last for a short time or for centuries, according to Don Swanson, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, who has been studying carbon samples dating back 2,500 years to track the history of the volcano. An explosive eruption killed hundreds of Hawaiians in 1790 as they were walking across the Ka`u desert. Another explosive eruption happened in 1924, killing one person. These were minor, however, compared to continuous eruptions that lasted for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years at a time before people occupied Volcano and the surrounding area, he cautioned. Swanson’s research has been making news, with reports today on Hawai`i News Now and others as far ranging as Hawai`i Magazine, National Geographic, Our Amazing Planet and Global Post. 

A 3.7 EARTHQUAKE rumbled through Ka`u yesterday with an epicenter southeast of `Ainapo and makai of Hwy 11. It followed a 2.6 earthquake just north, five minutes earlier.

THE ENTIRE FAMILY IS INVITED to Ka`u `Ohana Day at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Planned activities include making feather kahili and playing makahiki games like `ulu maika, konane and moa pahe`e. Participants should bring water, sunscreen and a ball cap.

ALSO AT THE KAHUKU UNIT tomorrow, hikers can explore Kipuka`akihi, an isolated refuge of rare plants in a remnant old-growth forest. To register for the hike and for more information on Ka`u `Ohana Day, call 985-6011.

KAHULA `O NAWAHINE NOHO PU`UKAPU, with kumu hula Ana Nawahine Kaho`opi`i, perform at the hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. Hands-on cultural demonstrations are scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the gallery porch. Park entrance fees apply.

Keiki at Na`alehu Gym ramped up in festive holiday spirit for Winterfest
yesterday affternoon. Photo by Nalani Parlin

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION’S keiki Christmas party is tomorrow at 11 a.m. at the community center. Everyone is invited to this free event, which includes food, music, gifts for every child under 12 and a visit from Santa. 

     For all donations of time, money and gifts, call 939-7033.

CHRISTMAS IN PAHALA takes place Sunday at 5:30 p.m. around the lighted Christmas tree on Kamani Street. Donations are being taken for needy families who otherwise might not be able to afford a happy Christmas. Canned foods, turkeys, toys, gift certificates and beverages can be donated by calling Keala Kailiawa at 928-0500 or Pahala Plantation Cottages at 928-9811, or dropping donations by KAHU community radio station on Maile Street.