Ka`u News Briefs Aug. 13, 2012

A rendering of the new Ka`u Shelter and Gymnasium. The $17 million  contract went to Summmit Construction.
Image from Hawai`i County Department of Public Works

THE KA`U SHELTER & GYM to be constructed next to Ka`u High School in Pahala has received another $200,000 in funding, released last week by Gov. Neil Abercrombie. The County of Hawai`i recently awarded the $17 million construction contract to Summit Construction. Construction is expected to begin this fall and last approximately 18 months to complete. The gym and additional recreational facilities are for use by the public and school students, as well as for a disaster shelter.

DEADLINE FOR INDIVIDUALS OR COMMUNITY GROUPS to ask to intervene in the Public Utilities Commission’s review of the contract for `Aina Koa Pono to annually sell 16 million gallons of locally produced biofuel to HELCO is Aug. 22. Intervention gives individuals or community groups more legal standing in the discussion. Life of the Land and Hawai`i Renewable Energy Alliance  asked to intervene and Hawai`i County asked to participate without intervening in the PUC discussion of the previous contract between the electric company and `Aina Koa Pono, but were turned down by the PUC. Life of the Land has intervened in earlier rate cases and takes credit for stopping a HECO plan to import large quantities of biofuel in the form of palm oil from Asia, where rainforests are taken down to plant palm trees for biofuel. The Energy Alliance, which represents the company that owns the windmills at South Point, said last year that  its members are concerned that HECO would be deterred from buying more wind and other alternative energies, should the `Aina Koa Pono contract be approved.

Hawai`i Renewable Energy
Alliance logo

       The PUC also turned away the County of Hawai`i’s attempt to intervene in the previous contract proposal, stating that it was too late to enter the discussion. The county claimed that it is Hawai`i Electric Light Company’s largest customer and wanted to discuss the energy alternatives available to the island.

      The proposed contract is available on the Public Utilities Commission website, puc.hawaii.gov. To access it and other related documents, click on Document Management System (DMS) and enter 2012-0185 in the Docket Quick Link box. When the docket opens, click on Documents.

      Comments, with Docket 2012-0185 referenced, can be sent to Public Utilities Commission, 465 South King Street, #103, Honolulu, HI 96813; faxed to 808-586-2066; or emailed to hawaii.puc@hawaii.gov.

KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE meets tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Agenda items include an update on progress of the draft CDP, updates on initiatives in Ocean View, recommendations to the Planning director regarding forecasted CDP project expenses for the 2013-2014 County budget and Sunshine Law amendments.

       Planner Ron Whitmore issued a list of topics that he says are not on the agenda and will not be discussed. The topics are Kahuku Village, Pohue Bay, Ocean View Water System, Ocean View Transfer Station, Agricultural Water Cooperatives, National Park Service Shoreline Study, Kawa Stewardship Plan, Kawa Drainage Environmental Assessment, `Aina Koa Pono Biofuels Facility, Ka`u District Emergency Shelter and Gym and Ka`u Forest Reserve Environmental Assessment.

      “Please direct comments about these issues to the appropriate place,” Whitmore said. For more information, contact him at 961-8137 or rwhitmore@co.hawaii.hi.us.

MORE THAN HALF THE VOTERS on the Big Island cast their ballots before last Saturday’s primary election, according to state election office statistics. In Hawai`i County, 43,347 of the 101,728 registered voters cast ballots, with 53 percent of them voting by mail or early walk-in voting. Forty-seven percent walked into the polling centers between 7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. To bolster voting, County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi mailed out permanent absentee ballot registration forms to all registered voters. For people living in some remote areas of the island, the only way to vote was through the mail or by visiting an early walk-in voting site in Hilo, Waimea or Kailua-Kona.

VOTING BY PRECINCT FOR THE PRIMARY ELECTION can be studied on the state elections division website at http://hawaii.gov/elections/results/2012/primary. The following are some of the primary election day precinct results for the tighter races among candidates vying to represent Ka`u.

Maile David, left, and Brenda Ford, second left, face a runoff in November for District 6 County Council. Photo from Big Island Video News

FOR COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 6, Brenda Ford took in 2,098 votes, while Maile David took in 1,531, Bradley Westervelt 559 and Lee McIntosh 179.
      At Cooper Center in Volcano, Brenda Ford took in 231 votes over Maile David’s 117, Bradley Westervelt’s 78 and Lee McIntosh’s 37. At Pahala Elementary School, Maile David garnered 104 votes, while Bradley Westervelt took in 56, Brenda Ford 43 and Lee McIntosh 6. In Na`alehu, Maile David took 104 votes, Brenda Ford earned 88, Bradley Westervelt 77 and Lee McIntosh 32. In Ocean View, Brenda Ford earned 194 votes, Maile David 110, Bradley Westervelt 43 and Lee McIntosh 28. At Miloli`i Halau, Brenda Ford took in 63 votes to Maile David’s 39, Bradley Westervelt’s 6 and Lee McIntosh’s 5. At Ho`okena Elementary School, Maile David took in 71 votes to Brenda Ford’s 59, Bradley Westervelt’s 5 and Lee McIntosh’s 0. At St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in South Kona, Brenda Ford received 98 votes to Maile David’s 74, Bradley Westervelt’s 5 and Lee McIntosh’s 1 vote. At Konawaena Elementary School, Brenda Ford received 318, Maile David 259, Bradley Westervelt 18 and Lee McIntosh 11.
      The general election will see a runoff between Maile David and Brenda Ford.

FOR STATE SENATE, PUNA TO PUNALU`U, Russell Ruderman earned 3,105 votes over Bob Herkes’ 2,755 votes, Wendell Ka`ehu`ae`a’s 1,227 votes and Gary Safarik’s 1,192 votes.
       Ruderman edged past Herkes at the Kea`au precinct, voting with 292 to 261 votes and won at Pahoa Community Center with 263 votes over 104. At Keonepoko Elementary School, Ruderman drew 465 votes to Herke’s 229 and at Hawaiian Paradise Community Center, Ruderman drew 464 votes over Herke’s 249. Herkes beat Ruderman in Mt. View with 175 over 134 votes. At Cooper Center in Volcano, Ruderman edged past Herkes with 184 votes to Herkes 181 votes. In Pahala, Herkes took 160 votes and Ruderman’s 14.
      Ruderman becomes the Democratic nominee for state senator facing Republican Daryl Lee Smith.

FOR STATE SENATE FROM HONU`APO INTO KONA, Josh Green, in the Democratic primary, received 5,941 votes, and 1,244 ballots were left blank. In the Republican Primary, Jeff LaFrance received 825 votes and John Totten 690 votes. There were 442 blank votes. In the Non-Partisan primary, Michael Last received 34 votes, and 64 ballots were blank.
       Incumbent Green becomes Democratic nominee for state senator facing Republican Jeff LaFrance.

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, PUNALU`U INTO PUNA, Republican candidate Marlene Hapai received 521 votes. Libertarian Fred Fogel received 17 votes. Democrat Richard Onishi received 3,298 votes, while Brittany Smart received 2,259 votes.
       At the Kea`au precinct, Smart beat Onishi with 414 votes over 379. At AJA Memorial Hall, Onishi beat Smart with 580 votes over her 171. At Mt. View, she beat Onishi with 229 votes over his 220 votes. At Cooper Center in Volcano, Smart beat Onishi with 288 votes over 127. At Pahala precinct, Richard Onishi gathered 130 votes to Brittany Smart’s 61.
       Onishi became the Democratic candidate facing Republican Marlene Hapai and Libertarian Fred Fogel in the general election.

Diana Aki performs Wednesday evening.
Photo from NPS

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, HONU`APO INTO KONA, Republican race, Dave Bateman received 777 votes. In the Democratic race, Denny Coffman received 2,462 votes, while Leolani Oyama received 1,164.
       In Na`alehu Leiolani Oyama beat Denny Coffman, 110 to 90. Republican Dave Bateman received 44 votes. In Ocean View, Denny Coffman beat Oyama, 139 to 93. Republican Dave Bateman received 66 votes. At Miloli`i Halau, Denny Coffman took in 53 votes to Leolani Oyama’s 29. At Ho`okena School, Denny Coffman received 61 votes while Leolani Oyama received 30. Republic Dave Bateman received 5. At St. Benedict’s Catholic church, Denny Coffman received 89 votes, Leolani Oyama 51 and Republican Dave Bateman 12. At Konawaena Elementary, Denny Coffman received 269 votes to Leolani Oyama’s 152. Republican Dave Bateman received 11. At Konawaena High School, Denny Coffman received 201 votes to Leolani Oyama’s 64. Republican Dave Bateman received 19 votes. At Kona Vista Recreation Center, Denny Coffman took in 309 votes and Leolani Oyama 72, while Republican Dave Bateman took in 156.
      Denny Coffman won the Democratic primary and faces Republican Dave Bateman in November.

DIANA AKI performs at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The concert is free, and park entrance fees apply.

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