Kaʻū News Briefs, Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Dead ʻōhiʻa in the Kapāpala Forest Reserve between Pāhala and Volcano. Scientists, land managers,
and cultural experts met last week for a conference on Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, which devastates the
native forests. Photo from University of Hawaiʻi Spatial Data Analysis & Visualization Lab

RENEWABLE ENERGY PLUS STORAGE FACILITIES bring Hawaiʻi to the "leading edge" of leaving fossil fuel behind, according to Sen. Mazie Hirono. She touted Hawaiʻi's progress during a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on energy storage today.
     She talked about projects that could be replicated around the state, including the Lawai Solar Energy Plus Storage Facility on Kauaʻi. She said it is the largest solar generation plus storage project in the world, generates 11 percent of Kauaʻi's power, and can serve as much as 40 percent of Kauaʻi's evening peak power demand.
     Hirono said, "Hawaiʻi is on the leading edge of incorporating renewable power and energy storage. Of course, Hawaiʻi is not connected to any other state's grid, we're kind of on our own."
     The Senator noted that "Hawaiian Electric... recently received approval for six new solar and storage projects to provide 247 megawatts of solar energy with almost 800 megawatt hours of storage – enough to power 105,000 homes per year while eliminating the use of more than 48 million gallons of imported fossil fuel. Hawaiʻi was the most imported fossil fuel dependent state in the country, and we had probably the highest electricity rates in the country, possibly with the exception of Alaska.

Sheep graze at the largest solar with storage facility in the world. It's on Kauaʻi and more are planned for
the rest of Hawaiʻi. Photo from Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative

     "The company is preparing a second round of bids for even more solar and storage to replace fossil fuel plants. There will be even more innovation in the future to meet Hawaiʻi's goal of 100 percent renewable power by 2045."
     Hirono is a co-sponsor of S. 1593, the Promoting Grid Storage Act of 2019, to research, develop, and deploy energy storage systems, including assistance to local organizations identify and design energy storage systems. She is also a co-sponsor of S. 1142, the Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act of 2019, which would provide a 30 percent credit for the purchase of energy storage systems. In May, Hirono joined her colleagues in introducing S.1288, the Clean Energy for America Act, which would reform the federal tax code as part of a plan to support a low-carbon economy by consolidating the current 44 energy incentives into three technology-neutral provisions that encourage clean electricity, clean transportation, and energy efficiency while repealing tax incentives for fossil fuel companies.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Supporters of immigration reform toward paths to green cards and
citizenship for immigrants. Photo from Voice of America

THE AMERICAN DREAM AND PROMISE ACT received the support of Rep. Tuslsi Gabbard as the measure passed the U.S. House of Representatives 237-187 today. It would provide a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers and individuals with temporary protected status or deferred enforcement departure. Gabbard is an original cosponsor of the bill.
     "More than 2.5 million DREAMers in Hawaiʻi and across the country have faced uncertainty and fear of deportation for far too long. Their lives and futures hang in the balance as they dread the possibility that at any moment they could be deported from the only home many have ever known, and sent to a foreign land. This legislation finally provides a pathway to certainty and citizenship that will allow them to come out from the shadows and pursue their goals and dreams," said Gabbard.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

A BILL REQUIRING APPLIANCES sold or installed in Hawaiʻi to meet minimum energy efficiency standards is before Gov. David Ige. House Bill 556 would follow standards similar to those adopted by the federal government.
     The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy study found that Hawaiʻi households could save more than $215 annually per household. The bill states HB556 would "provide consumer protection," so that appliance manufacturers could not "unload less efficient appliances in Hawaiʻi that they cannot sell in other states with heightened standards." The bill states that, without these standards, "Hawaiʻi residents risk losing as much as $1 million in unnecessary energy waste due to inefficient appliances."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

HAWAIʻI HAS THE HIGHEST GASOLINE PRICES IN THE COUNTRY, according to a report just released by the U.S Energy Information Administration. Following Hawaiʻi were the West Coast and Alaska. The combined average price of the western states is $3.60 per gallon of regular gasoline.

     The survey taken May 27 showed the lowest prices on the Gulf Coast, averaging $2.42 per gallon. The national average retail price for regular gasoline was $2.82 per gallon.
     Twenty years ago the average price of regular gasoline in the western states, including Hawaiʻi averaged $1.38 per gallon.

The price of gasoline is highest in Hawaiʻi and the other westernmost states.
Map from the U.S. Energy Information Administration

THE FIGHT AGAINST RAPID ʻŌHIʻA DEATH was the focus of a symposium last week at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i on the University of Hawaiʻi-Hilo campus. More than 90 top researchers and land managers "engaged in the fight against ROD shared knowledge, their latest research findings, and discussed next steps in battling the fungal disease that has killed millions of ʻōhiʻa trees, primarily on Hawai‘i Island, but also on a much more limited scale on Kaua‘i," reports Department of Land and Natural Resources.

     Two days of scientific presentations were followed by a half-day workshop, with the "goal of identifying the next research questions to hopefully and ultimately identify treatments for the two strains of the disease. So far extensive aerial and ground surveys have not shown it spreading beyond Kaua‘i or Hawai‘i Island," reports DLNR.

Map from University of Hawaiʻi shows progress of ROD since 2013.

     Intensive research into exactly how Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death spreads and potential treatments has been underway, nearly since the fungus was first detected as a previously un-described disease in 2014.

     Scientists have determined that the fungus enters ʻōhiʻa trees and interrupts their vascular systems, which means water can't move from the roots and into higher reaches of the trees. The disease enters individual trees through wounds that can be caused by wind or hurricane events, by animals, weed-eaters, heavy equipment, pruning, and trimming.

   What's less clear – and is the subject of continuing research – is how the fungus spreads from tree to tree, and what are the best methods for treating infected trees? states DLNR.

     While scientific research being conducted by numerous federal agencies and academic institutions, coupled with management protocols established by state and county agencies, has led to "an enormous body of knowledge about these emerging diseases, Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death continues to be shrouded in mystery," reports DLNR. The release about the symposium poses questions: Where did it first come from? Why does it infect some trees and not others? Does the wind carry fungal spores – and if so, why did it skip over Maui Nui and O‘ahu before being first detected on Kaua‘i a year ago?

Dead ʻōhiʻa trees in the native forest. Photo from University of Hawaiʻi

     The group also looked at the efficacy of current methods to try and stem the spread of ROD: Do boot cleaning stations at trailheads work? Does felling, tarping, and fungicide application to dead trees stop the fungus? Are additional quarantine measures needed to strengthen those already in place? What additional outreach and education needs to happen to best inform everyone about ROD, and how it is devastating hundreds of thousands of acres of ʻōhiʻa forest? DLNR reports that ʻōhiʻa is considered Hawaiʻi's "most important native tree species because of its watershed protecting abilities and cultural significance."

 Kekuhi Keali’ikanaka’olelohaililani
of Hālau ʻŌhiʻa. DLNR photo

     DLNR Chair Suzanne Case said, in a keynote speech, "Thank you all for the incredibly hard work you've been doing these last few years on all fronts; from identifying the causes of Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, to mapping its distribution and learning about how it spreads. Experimenting with ways to contain it and all the outreach and education so everyone in Hawai‘i can know how not to spread it further. Your work is necessarily innovative and often ingenious because we’ve never encountered these pathogens, nor their effect on our beloved ʻōhiʻa forest."

     Kumu Kekuhi Keali’ikanaka’olelohaililani of Hālau ʻŌhiʻa implored the scientists, managers, and everyone who cares for Hawaiʻi, to "embrace the ʻōhiʻa lehua as a vital component of our natural landscape and cultural heritage."  She told the group, "You've done your job to create this collaborative, this collective movement. Ritual practices taught me that your imaginings are the experimentation, is the meetings, is the movement, the working together and the innovative approaches."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

A NEW SURCHARGE for parking violations on state highways is on Gov. David Ige's desk for review. House Bill 333 would establish the state Highway Enforcement Program, which "adds a surcharge for illegal parking to existing penalties for violations of the statewide traffic code that involve stopping, standing, or parking on state highways." Half of the surcharge would be deposited into the state highway fund. The other half would be distributed to the respective police departments where the violation was made, and used to further enforce laws about illegal parking on state highways.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment. 

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events. 

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on 

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

JUST ANNOUNCED

MOBILE SPAY AND NEUTER WAGGIN', from the Hawaiian Humane Society, is next at St. Jude's on Tuesday, June 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Humane Society offers spay and neuter services. Low-income pet parents and those with limited transportation qualify for their free spay and neuter service.

     The Waggin' also provides nail trim for an additional $5 per animal with spay/neuter surgery, microchiping for an additional $10 per animal with spay/neuter surgery, Hawaiʻi County dog licensing for an additional $10 per animal with spay/neuter surgery.

     Surgery is by appointment only. Go to hihs.org or call 808-796-0107.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

UPCOMING

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5

Early Head Start, Wednesday, June 5 – 1st Wednesday, monthly – 10 a.m. to noon, Ocean View Community Center. Social get together for keiki and parents; open to public. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Master Gardeners: Plant Propagation, Wednesday, June 5, 2 p.m., Nā‘ālehu Public Library. Sharing techniques to propagate plants. Free seeds and starts give away. 939-2442

All About Buddhism in the Jodo Shinshu Tradition, Wednesday, June 5 and every following Wednesday, 5 p.m., Nā‘ālehu Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. Book study/talk story. Materials and light refreshments provided. Temple president Robert Kobzi, robertkobzi@aol.com

Hula Voices with Kumu Hula Sammi Fo, Wednesday, June 5 – 1st Wednesday, monthly – 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery. Desiree Moana Cruz moderates the talk story session. Free. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

THURSDAY, JUNE 6
Keiki Jiggle Bums, Thursday, June 6 and 20 – 1st and 3rd Thursday, monthly – 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. Discover the joy of early learning through song and musical instruments. For keiki 0-4 years. Nicola, 238-8544

Women's Expression Group, Thursday, June 6 – 1st Thursday monthly – 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., PARENTS Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Women welcome to drop in. Free. Lindsey Miller, 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org

Ocean View Neighborhood Watch Mtg., Thursday, June 6, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Mtg., Thursday, June 6, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

FRIDAY, JUNE 7
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Coastal Net Patrol, Friday, June 7. Free; donations appreciated. Limited seating available. RSVP in advance. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, 769-7629

Uplink All-Stars: Grades 6-8, Friday, June 7, to Friday, June 28, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ka‘ū High & Pāhala Elementary. Registration required, 313-4100

Stewardship at the Summit, Fridays, June 7, 15, 22, and 28, 8:45 a.m. to noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center. Volunteers remove invasive, non-native plants. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring hat, rain gear, day pack, snacks, and water. Gloves/tools provided. Parental/guardian accompaniment or written consent required for those under 18. Free; park entrance fees apply. Paul and Jane Field, field@hawaii.edu, nps.gov/havo

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

Pancake Breakfast and Raffle, Saturday, June 8, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. To volunteer, call 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Stained Glass Basics II: Baubles, Bevels and other Embellishments w/Claudia McCall, Saturday and Sunday, June 8, 9, 15 and 16, 9 a.m. to noon, Volcano Art Center. $90/VAC member, $100/non-member, plus $30 supply fee. Open to those with prior copper foil stained glass experience. Advanced registration required. Limited to 6 adults. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Nā Mamo o Kāwā ʻOhana Work Day, Saturday, June 8, meet 9:30 a.m., Northern Gate, Kāwā. RSVP to James Akau, jakau@nmok.org, 561-9111. Bring a water bottle, lunch, closed toed shoes, long sleeved t-shirt, and pants. Tools, gloves, water, and light refreshments provided. nmok.org, facebook.com/NMOK.Hawaii

Zentangle Ulana, Appreciations of Weaving w/Dina Wood Kageler, Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Volcano Art Center. All welcome, no prior experience necessary. Supplies provided. Students invited to bring snack to share. $30/VAC member, $35/non-member, plus $10 supply fee. Register: volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Jazz in the Forest: Binti Bailey & Larry Seyer with the Jazztones, Saturday, June 8, 5:30 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Refreshments available for purchase. Tickets available online, $20/VAC Member, $25/non-Member. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Medicine for the Mind: Teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition, Sunday, June 9 – 2nd Sunday, monthly – 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Free; calabash donations welcome. Dress warmly. Patty Johnson, 345-1527

SUNDAY, JUNE 9
Medicine for the Mind: Teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition, Sunday, June 9 – 2nd Sunday, monthly – 3-5p.m., Volcano Art Center. Free; calabash donations welcome. Dress warmly. Patty Johnson, 345-1527

MONDAY, JUNE 10
Summer Algebra Camp: Grades 6-8, Monday, June 10, to Friday, June 21, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ka‘ū High & Pāhala Elementary. Supplies provided, free. Registration required, 313-4913, dexsilyn.navarro@k12.hi.us

Early College: High School Students, Monday-Thursday, June 12-July 11, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ka‘ū High & Pāhala Elementary. Registration required, 313-4100

Ka‘ū Homeschool Co–op Group, Monday, June 10, 1p.m., contact for location. Parent-led homeschool activity and social group, building community in Ka‘ū. Laura Roberts, 406-249-3351

ONGOING

Seamless Summer Program, open to all people under age 18, no registration required, offers free breakfast at Nāʻālehu Elementary and Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School cafeterias. Meals are available weekdays, June 7 through July 11; no meals Tuesday, June 11 and Thursday, July 4. Kaʻū High serves breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Call (808) 939-2413 for Nāʻālehu Elementary mealtimes.

Summer Programs for Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary registrations are open.
     Uplink All-Stars runs Friday, June 7 through Friday, June 28 for students in grades 6, 7, and 8, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
     Algebra camp is also open to students in grades 6, 7, and 8 from Monday, June 10 through Friday, June 21, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

     Early College, for high school students, runs from Wednesday, June 12 through Thursday, July 11, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

     All three programs require registration by calling 313-4100. No classes Tuesday, June 11 and Thursday, July 4.

Purchase Tickets for Miss Hawaiʻi Island Teen USA and Miss Hawaiʻi Island, Sunday, June 15 at The Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo, from Teen USA candidate Kailee "Kamalani" Kuhaulua-Stacy. Tickets are $25; contact Kamalani at 808-315-4252 through Saturday, June 14 to purchase. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., the pageant begins at 6:30 p.m. The evening includes both competition for Miss Hawaiʻi Island Teen USA, for contenders 14 to 18 years of age, and Miss Hawaiʻi Island, for contestants 18 to 28.

     Supporters can vote for the candidate called Kamalani, contestant #7, for the People's Choice award, by liking her photos on the pageant Facebook. Deadline to vote by liking the contestant photo is this Sunday, June 9 at 7 p.m.

     See misshawaiiisland.com.

Exhibit – Hulihia, A Complete Change: The Hawai‘i Nei Invitational Exhibition, runs through Sunday, June 16, daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Gallery. Multi-media exhibition of seven artists. Free; National Park entrance fees may apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou's Annual Nāʻālehu 4th of July Parade and Summer Fun Fest happens Saturday, June 29. The Nā‘ālehu Independence Day Parade begins at 11 a.m. at Nā‘ālehu Elementary School and ends at the Nā‘ālehu Hongwanji Mission. The parade features floats, Paʻu riders, Kaʻū Coffee Court members, and more.
     The Fest, which begins after the parade, features water slides and bounce castles, hot dogs, watermelon, and shave ice, plus Senior Bingo and lunch at the community center for seniors. The free event is open to the public, no registration required.
     To participate in the parade, volunteer, or donate, contact Debra McIntosh at 929-9872 by Thursday, June 20. okaukakou.org

Full-Time Teaching Assistant Sought by Tūtū & Me to implement curriculum for caregivers and keiki in Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool in Kaʻū. Competitive salary and benefits package, including medical, dental, drug, and vision; flexible spending plan; 403b retirement plan; vacation, sick days, and 14 paid days off; and more.

     Minimum requirement is a high school diploma. Early Childhood Education, related coursework, and/or experience working children preferred. For more, visit pidf.org/about/careers. Apply by emailing resume and cover letter to hr@pidfoundation.org or fax to 808-440-6619.

Hi-Employment Seeks Student Employees to work in a macadamia nut orchard on weekends and holidays. Duties include hand-harvesting macadamia nuts, filling and transporting nut bag and buckets, loading 25-plus pound bags into truck beds, and possible clearing of brush and branches. Applicants must be at least 15 years old, have a work permit, two forms of ID, and transportation to "Panaʻewa Stretch." Call for more details, 238-3741, hi-employment.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.