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Monday, June 29, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, June 29, 2015

Southside 16's Boys Volleyball team defeated all three adversaries yesterday during their first day of play at the U.S. Association of Volleyball Boys National Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Photos from Julie Enriques
SOUTHSIDE 16’S BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM won all three matches Sunday on their first day of play at U.S. Association of Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships being held in Columbus, Ohio. The team consists of nine players from the Big Island and one from O`ahu. Coached by Guy Enriques, Sam Thomas and Kainoa Downing, the team defeated others from California (Ventura County), Maryland (MCVC) and Wisconsin (Milwaukee Sting).
Southside 16's Players and coaches
in Columbus, Ohio
      The team was led by the hitting of Avery Enriques, blocking of Sam “Nalu” Kahapea and setting of Jai “Nai`a” Makuakane.
      The championships continue through Sunday, July 5, with some matches streamed live at teamusa.org/usa-volleyball/events/indoor/boys/2015-bjnc.
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A REWARD IS OFFERED for information leading to the return of more than $25,000 in equipment from the Kaiholena workshop operated by The Nature Conservancy. It is believed that the theft took place this morning around dawn. Stolen were a Troy Flatbed trailer 2009 with wooden bed and black wheel rails, no railings; a 2009 Honda ATV called Big Red, painted in green and tan camouflage: a Briggs & Stratton compressor; and a green ATV 500.
      Also stolen were a standing gun safe with a .22 calibre rifle and a handgun, three Stihl chain saws, a Honda 1000 generator and a Shindaiwa weedwacker, hand tools and landscaping tools. The thieves were seen driving a black 1996 - 2000 Toyota pickup headed through roads from macadamia orchards toward Pahala. Thieves broke hinges off gates to access the property. Any information can be provided to Ka`u Police Station at 939-2520.
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THE DEATH PENALTY UNCONSTITUTIONAL? For the first time in Supreme Court history, two justices wrote that this is probably so in their opinions issued today concerning a case over legality  of a drug used in executions. While the court upheld use of midazolam, saying that its alleged problems in delivering a humane death are speculative, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, “Under the court’s new rule, it would not matter whether the state intended to use midazolam, or instead to have petitioners drawn and quartered, slowly tortured to death, or actually burned at the stake.”
      Justice Sanuel Alito, who wrote the majority opinion that allows the drug to be used, said. “The dissent’s resort to this outlandish rhetoric reveals the weakness of its legal arguments."
      Associated Press writer Mark Shwerman reported: “In a separate dissent, Justice Stephen Breyer said the time has come for the court to debate whether the death penalty itself is constitutional. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined Breyer’s opinion.”
      The AP reported conservative justice Alito saying that “death penalty opponents are waging a ‘guerrilla war’ against executions by working to limit the supply of more effective drugs. On the other side, liberal Justice Elena Kagan contended that the way states carry out most executions amounts to having prisoners ‘burned alive from the inside.’”
      The death penalty became illegal in Hawai`i before statehood. On June 4, 1957, the territorial Legislature passed HB 706, and the death penalty was abolished the next day when Gov. Sam King signed it. However, in 2014, the first death penalty case was heard in the state of Hawai`i. It was in
federal court in Honolulu, where a soldier was convicted of murder and could have received the death penalty. The jury rejected the death penalty.
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A solar-powered plane is on its way to Hawai`i from Japan.
Photo from Solar Impulse
SOLAR PLANE IS ON ITS WAY TO HAWAI`I, attempting to be the first to fly around the world without using liquid fuel. Powered by 17,000 solar cells, Solar Impulse Two left Japan at 3 a.m. on the longest flight of its journey. The estimated time is 120 hours
for pilot Andre Borschberg. His team issued a statement this morning saying that Solar Impulse has passed the “point of no return” in its flight to Hawai`i. 
      The flight can be followed at solarimpulse.com.
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U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD VOTED in favor of H.R. 1295, the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, which includes Trade Adjustment Assistance. TAA supports American workers who lose their jobs or experience wage reductions as a result of foreign trade and includes worker support services such as job retraining and income assistance. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1295 by a vote of 266-138.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
      Thursday was the second time the House of Representatives voted on TAA in the 114th Congress. It was originally voted down by a bipartisan majority, including Gabbard, after it was attached to a bill granting the Administration Trade Promotion Authority, also known as fast-track.
      “In the past weeks, we have seen fast-track authority packaged with widely supported bills like worker displacement programs and public servant pensions in order to bully legislators into passing the Administration’s trade agenda,” Gabbard said. “I am disappointed that Congress has passed fast-track authority and given away the ability to voice the opinions of the American people in trade negotiations like the Trans-Pacific Partnership.


      “NAFTA and other trade agreements have thrown millions of Americans out of work. This is why I voted in favor of H.R. 1295, which authorizes funding for job training services and other support for displaced workers.


      “Although fast-track has passed, this does not mean that those of us who are concerned about protecting American jobs and our nation’s sovereignty should throw up our hands and surrender. The monstrosity known as Trade Pacific Authority still needs to come back to Congress for an up or down vote. If that bill contains the same noxious elements that appear in it at this time, we must do everything we can to defeat it.”


      Under TAA, Hawai`i workers who are adversely affected by trade may receive training for another job or career, weekly cash payments after regular unemployment benefits are exhausted and half the difference between lower, new wages and old wages for two years if they are 50 years or older. Also, the Health Coverage Tax Credit, which helps pay for health care for workers displaced by trade, would be retroactively renewed for six years through December 31, 2019. The bill also extends trade preference programs to developing countries to help them grow their economies.
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An Ocean View resident asks neighbors
to be on the lookout for Hercules.
OCEAN VIEW RESIDENT ROSALYN (last name not provided) asked community members to be on the lookout for Hercules, her two-year-old male Siamese cat. Hercules went missing May 31 from Tiki Lane and could have traveled further than this area. He has marbled markings and blue eyes and is timid. He does not have a collar but is chipped. Rosalyn is offering a reward. Call 896-2000.
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HENRY CURTIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of Life of the Land, discusses what he calls LNG: The Hawai`i Bridge Fuel Myth, at ililanimedia.blogspot.com. “Many people have asked whether it is worth spending upwards of a billion dollars to build the importation and distribution infrastructure necessary for liquefied natural gas to serve as a bridge fuel to a future world without fossil fuel,” Curtis said. “However, the plan is for that infrastructure not to go to waste.
      “The Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawai`i, Manoa contracted with Facts Inc. to write a report on Liquified Natural Gas which was then submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy.
      “The 2013 report, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) for Hawai`i: Policy, Economic, and Technical Questions, discussed the role of LNG: ‘A notable point in this analysis is the increasing LNG demand for transportation … which would provide an opportunity to shift LNG demand from the power sector to the transportation sector over time.’
      “Hawai`i has already established state policies that mirror federal policies on transportation that could aid in this transition. Hawai`i defines alternative fuel to include a bunch of non-gasoline alternatives such as natural gas, coal-derived liquid fuels, liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen, ethanol, and biodiesel.
      “Hawaii` has established a non-gasoline procurement standard where the ‘priority for selecting vehicles’ includes electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles.
      “The terminology for alternative fuel vehicles varies. The category includes natural gas vehicles, natural gas light-duty vehicles, and compressed natural gas buses and trucks.
Face-painting and furry friends are some
of the ho`olaule`a fun.
      “The HNEI analysis states, ‘If LNG comes to Hawai`i it could make sense to convert transit buses, waste collection and transfer vehicles, airport shuttles and vehicles, and city and state vehicles to run on natural gas instead of petroleum products.’
      “Hawai`i currently imports large amounts of petroleum and coal. The dream of the fossil fuel industry is to add natural gas to the mix, first in the electricity sector and then in the transportation sector. The hook is that it will be a temporary import, at least in the electric sector.”
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

OCEAN VIEW EVANGELICAL CHURCH gifts the community with a ho`olaule`a and lu`au and on Saturday, Aug. 8. This will be the church’s third year holding the event.
      Churches from the Ka`u area will present entertainment, and a variety of services will be present such as The Food Bank, The Pregnancy Center, Keiki ID, Operation Christmas Child, CERT and a Prayer Booth.
      Many local business have donated door prizes. Free Hawaiian food including lomi lomi salmon, chicken long rice and kalua pork will be served while supplies last. There will be a bounce house, tie-dying, children’s games and face-painting for keiki.
      Registration opens at 9 a.m. Festivities begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m.
      This is an alcohol- and drug-free event. Everything is free, “like God’s salvation and is given for God in Jesus’ name as a gift to the community,” said organizer Daneille Scheiern. “Come and join the fun!”

PAHALA POOL CLOSES in observance of Independence Day on Friday and Saturday, July 3 and 4. This week, public recreational swimming is available today through Thursday from 1 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursday. Adult lap swim takes place Monday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. The pool reopens on Sunday.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.



See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_June2015.pdf.



See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf.