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Wednesday, December 02, 2015

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015

Volcano Art Center seeks funding to keep its Hula Arts Program alive. See more below. Photo from VAC
MAILE DAVID, KA`U’S HAWAI`I County Council member, has concerns about how a proposed agricultural tourism bill would be enforced. Yesterday, the council’s Planning Committee discussed Kohala Council member Margaret Wille’s bill creating a “minor” ag classification that would allow fewer than 5,000 visitors annually and not more than 100 weekly. Such operations would have to register with the county but would not need plan approval unless building structures other than farm stands.
Maile David
      David said she supports ag tourism and rules and regulations governing it but asked how the county would monitor programs. She said she is aware of minor ag tourism activities going on in her district without permits.
      “How do we know who’s doing things legally and who is not?” David asked. “In rural districts, you’re out of sight, out of mind.”
      The committee deferred the bill until its next meeting on Jan. 5.
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VOTE COUNTING IS ON HOLD until the Ninth U.S. District Court of Appeals rules on a lawsuit challenging the election of Native Hawaiian residents running to become delegates at a constitutional convention for self-governance. The U.S. Supreme Court announced the decision today, Timothy Hurley reported in Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
      “The decision by the Supreme Court shows that a majority of the justices find our legal case compelling,” Grassroot Institute of Hawai`i President Keli`i Akina, of the, said in a statement. “This is a powerful step in holding the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Native Hawaiian Role Commission accountable for their unconstitutional and un-Hawaiian attempts to divide people based on race.”
      Akina is one of six plaintiffs who claim that the state is running an illegal, race-based election.
      See staradvertiser.com.
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SURVEYING AND SPRAYING IS BEING conducted at residences of all suspect and confirmed cases of dengue fever, Hawai`i County Civil Defense reported. Proactive spraying is also taking place at nearby public facilities. 
      Confirmed cases as of yesterday stand at 117, the state Department of Health reported.
      Civil Defense encourages residents islandwide to Fight The Bite by reducing mosquito breeding grounds and protecting themselves from mosquito bites.
      Aedes albopictus, also called the Asian tiger mosquito, is one of two mosquito species found on Hawai`i Island that can transmit viruses that cause dengue fever. The female mosquito lays eggs in water holding containers around or further away from homes, tree holes and bamboo internodes. It bites people, pets and wild animals. This species can survive year round in tropical and subtropical climates.
      Aedes albopictus is a small, dark mosquito with a white dorsal stripe and banded legs. They are strongly attracted to bite humans but will feed on cats, dogs and other mammals, as well as birds. They will bite any exposed skin surface. They bite outdoors and indoors but are usually found outside.
      About four or five days after feeding on blood, the female mosquito lays her eggs just above the surface of the water. When rain covers the eggs with water, the larvae hatch. Generally, larvae feed upon small aquatic organisms, algae and particles of plant and animal material in water-filled containers.
      The entire immature or aquatic cycle (i.e., from egg to adult) can occur in as little as seven to nine days. The life span for adult mosquitoes is around three weeks.
      They have a short flight range, so egg production sites are likely to be close to where this mosquito is found.
      Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are active throughout the year in tropical and subtropical locations.
      Aedes albopictus is most well known for transmitting dengue and chikungunya viruses, but it has also been found infected in nature with West Nile, Eastern equine encephalitis and Japanese encephalitis. It can also transmit dog heartworm parasites.
      The Asian tiger mosquito lays its eggs on the inner sides of water-holding receptacles in urban, suburban and rural areas as well as in nearby edges of forested areas. It is closely associated with vegetated areas in and around homes. The immature forms (larvae and pupae) are found in artificial containers with water such as tires, flower pots, plates under potted plants, cemetery urns/vases, buckets, tin cans, clogged rain gutters, ornamental ponds, drums, water bowls for pets, birdbaths, etc. In some instances, this species has been found in catch basins. Larvae can also be found in natural habitats such as tree holes, rock holes, hollow bamboo stumps and leaf axils.
      Aedes albopictus is a very aggressive daytime biter. Its peak feeding times are during the early morning and late afternoon. This mosquito has a rapid bite that allows it to escape most attempts by people to swat it. It feeds mainly on mammals, including humans, dogs and cats in the domestic environment and on a variety of wild animals, including birds. Because these mosquitoes are produced in nearly any sort of water-filled container, they often become very common and bothersome, even in neighborhoods where there are normally few mosquitoes.
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Wai`ohinu Transfer Station is one of 22 countywide that accepts tires
through Dec. 31. Photo from Hawai`i Zero-Waste
HAWAI`I COUNTY’S TEMPORARY Dengue Residential Tire Amnesty Collection Program ends on Dec. 31. The county Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division implemented the program to help the community reduce mosquito breeding sites by recycling old tires. 
      Households may bring in passenger vehicle, motorcycle or ATV tires with no rims to any of 22 Recycling & Transfer Stations during normal operating hours. Customers must locate the attendant on duty (wearing a fluorescent safety vests) and advise the attendant that they have acceptable tires for recycling. The attendant will instruct the customer where to properly place the tires. Tires dropped off before or after normal operating hours will be considered illegal dumping.
      There is a 10 (acceptable) tire limit per day per vehicle so that the department can fairly serve the public and ensure that one customer doesn’t overload the site and unnecessarily prevent other customers from participating in the temporary collection.
      Tires from businesses, commercial haulers, nonprofits or farms, as well as industrial tires (e.g. backhoe, tractor, forklift, etc.), are not accepted.
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West Hawai`i Civic Center is one of two sites with a Business Resource Center.
Photo from Hawai`i County
HAWAI`I COUNTY’S DEPARTMENT of Research and Development recently opened two Business Resource Centers in Hilo and in Kona in an effort to support local entrepreneurs forming small businesses. 
      Located in the department’s offices in the Hawai`i County Building in Hilo and West Hawai`i Civic Center in Kona, the Business Resource Center serves as a one-stop-shop for small business information. Each location is equipped with a public-use computer, a collection of business registration forms and staff to help entrepreneurs get started.
      The Business Resource Center partners with Hawai`i Small Business Development Center Network, Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce, the state Departments of Commerce & Consumer Affairs and Taxation and other county agencies on this initiative.
      Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., except for state holidays. Anyone interested in this new resource is welcome to stop by or visit the department online at hawaiicounty.gov/research-and-development and download the Business Resource Center’s guide, How to Start a Business in Hawai`i County.
      For more information, contact Beth Dykstra at 961-8035 or email elizabeth.dykstra@hawaiicounty.gov.
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VOLCANO ART CENTER'S Hula Arts Program is seeking funds. The program has been funded by the state through grants, and available funds are nearly depleted.
      For many years, the Hula Arts Program has brought authentic, quality hula to visitors and kama`aina alike at Kilauea's summit, home of Pele, in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. It is an honor for hula practitioners to perform there, and it is a rich visual experience for locals and visitors alike. Donations will help keep this revered Hula Program thriving and afford viewers a better understanding of the importance of this ancient tradition.
      To contribute, see gofundme.com/HulaArtsProgram.
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HPR's Radio Flyer program helps patients and families
with transportation from Neighbor Islands to Kapi`olani.
A FUNDRAISER FOR KAPI`OLANI MEDICAL CENTER for Women & Children is a new campaign for KAHU radio in Pahala, a station of Hawai`i Public Radio. Kapi`olani, located on O`ahu, is often a medical service provider for Ka`u families, particularly for hospitalization for at-risk pregnancies, infants and children. 
      The Radio Flyer program provides air travel for Neighbor Island families in need. Through this unique arrangement, donors to HPR may elect to transfer Hawaiian Airlines miles to the center. The miles are administered by Kapi`olani and used to fly patients and their families to and from its Honolulu facilities. HPR’s goal for this nine-day campaign is to provide another 500,000 miles to the fund.
      HPR is accepting online donations from today through Dec. 10 to the Radio Flyers fund at hawaiipublicradio.org. Additionally, between Dec. 8 and 10, donors may call in their gifts from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. toll-free at 877-941-3689.
      A minimum contribution to HPR of $100 is required to participate in the campaign. However, during its regular year-end fundraising event, HPR gratefully accepts tax-deductible gifts of any amount.
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THURSDAY NIGHTS AT THE CENTER tomorrow features local author Fred Koehnen discussing his new memoir, Been There Done That Back to Hilo: A Nine Decade Odyssey at 7 p.m. at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Koehnen will be available to sign $20 books after the program.
      Call 967-8222 for more information.

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