Halemaumau vent at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie |
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS may wind up with a 5 percent wage decrease and paying half of their health insurance costs as the teachers’ union contract with the state expires tomorrow with no agreement in place. Labor law allows the Department of Education to implement its last, best contract offer. The governor said yesterday said that the unprecedented deficit has created a situation in which everyone has to sacrifice.
Military helicopter trainees at Poakuloa Training Area. Photo courtesy of PTA. |
‘AINA KOA PONO plans to present its proposal for a refinery between Pahala and Wood Valley and a biofuel farm between Na`alehu and Pahala to the Hawai`i Island Economic Development Board today at the organization’s meeting to be held at Puna Geothermal. The development board is comprised of such business leaders as the president of Hawaiian Electric Light Co., mangers of GasCo., KTA, Bank of Hawai`i and First Hawaiian Bank, along with some non-profits such as Kamehameha Schools.
PAHALA PUBLIC AND SCHOOL LIBRARY will shut down for more than a month beginning on Friday. The stated reason is a staffing shortage. The library reopens on Monday, Aug. 8. Librarians are directing patrons to Na`alehu Public Library on Hwy 11. Call 939-2442. To line up books to check out from public libraries, go to librarieshawaii.org for a catalogue of titles, eBooks, digital audio books and a wide variety of online databases with access to full-text materials from magazines, newspapers, journals and other publications. Also online is an Ask-A-Librarian E-Reference service. A library card is not required to use this service.
THE KOHALA CENTER has come out with a new report called Energy Efficiency Strategies for Low-Income Communities on Hawai‘i Island, written by the Center for Industrial Ecology at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. It can be seen online at www.kohalacenter.org/research.html. U.S. Department of Energy data shows Hawaii has the highest electricity rates in the country. According to the report, local households spend roughly six percent of their income on electricity, three times the national average of two percent.
The report analyzes money spent to educate and help low income people with energy efficiency and concludes that a company contracted for this island was paid $3 million but spent less than $1 million here on the service.
Will Rolston, the county’s Energy Coordinator, said the county will pursue and remedy any inequity in energy efficiency money that should be deployed on our island. “It is self-evident that as we lift under-served community members, it strengthens the entire Island.”
THE DEADLINE TO SIGN UP to be part of the Na`alehu Independence Day Parade is this Friday, July 1. The parade starts at the Hongwanji and travels down Hwy 11 to the school on Saturday, July 2, beginning at 11 a.m. It is sponsored by `O Ka`u Kakou. Call 929-9872 to sign up.
The Volcano Parade is on Monday, July 4 at 9 a.m. starting at the Volcano Post Office on Old Volcano Hwy. Participants can show up at 8 a.m. Call 967-7800.
Keiki, men and women enjoy the annual Independence Day Rodeo at the Na'alehu Rodeo Grounds. Photo by Julia Neal |
THE COMMUNITY BOOKSTORE at Kauaha`ao Church in Wai`ohinu is open tomorrow and every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 938-0411 for more information.