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| The air is much cleaner in recent months in Ka`u following heavy damage to agriculture and health concerns from the two plumes seen on the skyline above Honu`apo. PBS will host a live panel on vog Thursday, Jan. 6 at 7:30 p.m. featuring community leaders in Ka`u. |
DEMOCRATIC PARTY precinct members this Sunday will narrow the field from nine to three candidates to fill Russell Kokubun’s state Senate seat for Ka`u, Puna and part of Hilo, as Kokubun resigned to head the state Department of Agriculture.
Nine Democrats have applied for the job. They are County Council member J Yoshimoto, an attorney and former Hawai`i County Democratic Party chair; state Rep. Faye Hanohono, a retired prison guard; Russell Ruderman, who owns Island Naturals; Gil Kahele, who is retired from Public Works at Pohakuloa Training Area and served as East Hawai`i campaign chair for Governor Abercrombie’s campaign.
Anthony Marzi, unsuccessful candidate for 4th District House seat and a Database Administrator, also applied. So did Gary Safarik, a communications business owner and former chair of the Hawai`i County Council. Beverly Jean Withington, a former state chair of the Democratic Party, long-time nurse and attorney in Kea`au, threw her hat in the ring. So did Wai`ohinu farmer, retired physician and Na`alehu Democratic precinct officer Richard Creagan and Susan “Marie” Sanford, manager of the Abundant Life Natural Foods store in Hilo. Farmer and businessman Richard Ha, whose name was mentioned earlier, decided not to apply for the job.
The selection process includes interviews and will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Kea`au Hongwanji. Once the slate of three is chosen, it will be confirmed by Hawai`i Democratic Chair Dante Carpenter and passed to the governor. Abercrombie is expected to select the next senator in time for the opening of the new Legislature on January 19.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING requirements of developers will be a hot topic at county council meetings this year. Council member Pete Hoffman has drafted a bill that would require developers to offer 20 percent of houses built to those with less than 80 percent of the island’s median income, 10 percent to those earning between 80 and 100 percent of median income and 10 percent to those earning up to 120 percent of median income.
Median income is $66,700 a year for a family of four. Current law requires that developers constructing five or more homes make some of them available to lower income people. The lower the income bracket served, the fewer affordable houses the developer has to build. Developers can also exchange credits with other developers to reduce the number of affordable homes they have to build.
THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETS today and takes up some final readings. One bill requires the administration to notify the council of any change orders in county contracts in an attempt for the council to oversee and help reduce overage costs for county projects.
Another bill raises the filing fee for Use Permits from $250 to $500, and a third updates the county water code to make it consistent with the state water code.
HUNTING LICENSES can be purchased online today at The Nature Conservancy Office on Hwy 11 in Na`alehu from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Call ahead to 443-5409.
AN OCEAN VIEW Neighborhood Watch meeting will be held tomorrow, Thursday at Ocean View Community Center at 7 p.m. Call 939-7033.
Nine Democrats have applied for the job. They are County Council member J Yoshimoto, an attorney and former Hawai`i County Democratic Party chair; state Rep. Faye Hanohono, a retired prison guard; Russell Ruderman, who owns Island Naturals; Gil Kahele, who is retired from Public Works at Pohakuloa Training Area and served as East Hawai`i campaign chair for Governor Abercrombie’s campaign.
Anthony Marzi, unsuccessful candidate for 4th District House seat and a Database Administrator, also applied. So did Gary Safarik, a communications business owner and former chair of the Hawai`i County Council. Beverly Jean Withington, a former state chair of the Democratic Party, long-time nurse and attorney in Kea`au, threw her hat in the ring. So did Wai`ohinu farmer, retired physician and Na`alehu Democratic precinct officer Richard Creagan and Susan “Marie” Sanford, manager of the Abundant Life Natural Foods store in Hilo. Farmer and businessman Richard Ha, whose name was mentioned earlier, decided not to apply for the job.
The selection process includes interviews and will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Kea`au Hongwanji. Once the slate of three is chosen, it will be confirmed by Hawai`i Democratic Chair Dante Carpenter and passed to the governor. Abercrombie is expected to select the next senator in time for the opening of the new Legislature on January 19.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING requirements of developers will be a hot topic at county council meetings this year. Council member Pete Hoffman has drafted a bill that would require developers to offer 20 percent of houses built to those with less than 80 percent of the island’s median income, 10 percent to those earning between 80 and 100 percent of median income and 10 percent to those earning up to 120 percent of median income.
Median income is $66,700 a year for a family of four. Current law requires that developers constructing five or more homes make some of them available to lower income people. The lower the income bracket served, the fewer affordable houses the developer has to build. Developers can also exchange credits with other developers to reduce the number of affordable homes they have to build.
THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETS today and takes up some final readings. One bill requires the administration to notify the council of any change orders in county contracts in an attempt for the council to oversee and help reduce overage costs for county projects.
Another bill raises the filing fee for Use Permits from $250 to $500, and a third updates the county water code to make it consistent with the state water code.
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| Halema`uma`u Crater, with its S02 plume, is the subject of Vog: How Dangerous is It? on Hawai`i PBS Thursday. |
VOG: HOW DANGEROUS IS IT? is the television program that will be aired live tomorrow, Thursday, on PBS at 7:30 p.m. with Ka`u rancher Lani Petrie, of Kapapala; state Rep. Bob Herkes; Dr. Elizabeth Tam, of U.H. Medical School; and Jeff Sutton, of the U.S. Geological Survey. They are expected to discuss the damage to health and businesses since 2008, when Halema`uma`u began spewing heavy vog toward Ka`u. The air quality has improved significantly, however, during the past year.
HUNTING LICENSES can be purchased online today at The Nature Conservancy Office on Hwy 11 in Na`alehu from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Call ahead to 443-5409.
AN OCEAN VIEW Neighborhood Watch meeting will be held tomorrow, Thursday at Ocean View Community Center at 7 p.m. Call 939-7033.
