Ka`u News Briefs June 1, 2011

Kamehame Bay is the destination of a Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park hike this weekend.
Photo by Steve Rayner

HAWAI`I’S VISITOR INDUSTRY is rebounding, with spending up more than 20 percent across the state this April over spending during the same month last year. The Hawai`i Tourism Authority reported that total visitor spending increased to $920.7 million by 581,324 visitors. The visitor count was up 5.3 percent.

GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE signed Senate Bill 883 into law yesterday, designating a gold star for license plates on the vehicles of children, parents, grandparents and siblings of fallen military service members. The star will be imprinted on the left side of license plates in a manner similar to congressional and honorary consul license plates. Family members would be able to purchase the Gold Star Family license plates for a fee. Families of fallen military service members, along with Tammy Duckworth, assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, attended the bill signing. Hawai`i is the 49th state to adopt a Gold Star Family license plate. Maine is the remaining state without one. The license plates will be available by October.

THE 2011 HURRICANE SEASON begins today in the Atlantic and started two weeks ago in the Pacific. While the outlook for the Atlantic is very active, the Pacific outlook is milder. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts the following for the Eastern Pacific: a 70 percent chance of a below-normal season, a 25 percent chance of a near-normal season, and only a 5 percent chance of an above normal season. NOAA expects 9-15 named storms, five to eight hurricanes and one to three major hurricanes in the Eastern Pacific. The names chosen for storms this year include Adrian, Beatriz, Calvin, Dora, Eugene, Fernanda, Greg, Hilary, Irwin, Jova and Kenneth.

Ormoc City is run largely by this geothermal plant.

THE SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP between Ormoc City in the Philippines and Hawai`i County was approved on first reading yesterday. The proposal, put forth by Council member Brittany Smart, will go before the full Council on June 15. The island is almost entirely powered by geothermal energy, with the rest of the electricity coming from hydroelectric plants. “There is a lot to learn from our Filipino friends,” Smart said. 

THE HAWAI`I COUNTY FINANCE COMMITTEE has approved the eminent domain process regarding land to be used to build the Ocean View Transfer Station, giving the county clear title to the land. The last reading is June 15 before the full Council. 

THE HAWAI`I VOLCANOES INSTITUTE, part of Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, sponsors a hike along the Ka`u Coast this Saturday. The five-mile round-trip interpretive program, led by park ranger Jay Robinson, follows the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail from Punalu`u to Kamehame. Call 985-7373 or visit fhvnp.org to register. 

Hawai`i Wildlife Fund organizes beach clean-ups
regularly in Ka`u.

VOLUNTEERS WILL CLEAN UP Kamilo Beach near South Point on Saturday at an event sponsored by Hawai`i Wildlife Fund. Sign up with Megan at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com. 

A DINNER AT KAHUKU PARK on Paradise Circle in Ocean View on Saturday will raise funds to support the Summer Fun program there. Dinner is served at 5 p.m. and includes Chef John Repogle’s BBQ pork along with rice, corn and watermelon all for just $5. Beverages are $1, with desserts and other baked goods also on sale. Activities before dinner include a slip and slide, face painting and games. Karaoke is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pre-sale dinner tickets are available. Call Robin at 939-8491 or Genny at 217-5593.

Ka`u News Briefs May 31, 2011

Rep. Clift Tsuji (l), LTC Rolland Niles, emcee Frank Box, Col. Randy Hart and Rep. Jerry Chang took part in
Kilauea Military Camp's Memorial Day Ceremony yesterday.  Photo by David Donald

MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE attended Kilauea Military Camp’s Memorial Day Ceremony yesterday. Lt. Col. Rolland Niles, Commander of Pohakuloa Training Area, gave the keynote address, and Rep. Clift Tsuji also spoke. Tsuji talked about the Hawai`i Medal of Honor, which is presented to the loved ones of military members with Hawai`i ties who died in service to their country. Since 2006, a special joint House and Senate presentation ceremony has been held each year at the State Capitol. “On this Memorial Day, I honor not only the five Big Island recipients of the Hawai`i Medal of Honor, but all veterans. I pray that very soon our Hawai`i State Legislature shall not have to convene annually in joint session to honor any more fallen heroes,” Tsuji said. 

An artist's rendering of the Wall of Faces at the education
center to be built near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
in Washington, D.C.

PHOTOS OF KA`U MILITARY PERSONNEL who died or went missing in action in the Vietnam War are being collected to display at a new $85 million underground educational center to be built near The Wall in Washington D.C. The photos will be mounted on a Wall of Faces on their birthdays. More than 58,000 American service members were killed in Vietnam, with Hawai`i losing a higher percentage of residents than most other states. Retired Gen. Colin Powell is honorary chairman of the project, which has already raised $31 million. See vvmf.org/hawaii_cfp, or call 703-927-8150. 

THE CHALLENGE TO RAISE $15,000 for the Bay Clinic’s construction fund is still ongoing. To date, $10,500 has been raised. An anonymous donor will match donations up to $15,000 made by June 11, the date of the Ka`u Family Fun Fest. Donations can be made at all offices of the Ka`u Federal Credit Union or online at okaukakou.com.

THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS will provide $4.3 million to organizations that include some programs here in Ka`u. The money is directed toward education, health and income of Native Hawaiians, and OHA said that about 13,000 Native Hawaiians will directly benefit. The purpose is to help troubled teens, increase access to early childhood education and provide financial advice on money management, wealth building and credit counseling. Recipients include the Partners in Development Foundation, Mana Maoli, Koa Ike, Hawaiian Community Assets, Pacific American Foundation, Hui Malama I Ke Kai Foundation, Family Nurturing Center of Hawai`i, Inc. and Hale Kipa, Inc. 

Ocean View had Ka`u's lowest-priced
gas this morning.

GASOLINE PRICES across Hawai`i are 50 cents a gallon lower than a month ago but still 57.2 cents higher than a year ago, according to HawaiiGasPrices.com. Retail gasoline prices have fallen 13.3 cents per gallon during the last week, with the average price at $4.04 per gallon. Nationally, gas fell 3.2 cents during the past week to $3.77 per gallon. In Ocean View this morning, prices were $4.23 at Kahuku Country Market, $4.28 at Kahala Gas and $4.29 at Ocean View Market. At the 76 Station in Na`alehu, gas was going for $4.29 a gallon, and at Ka`u Gas in Pahala, it was $4.36 per gallon.

A FIELD DEMONSTRATION about coffee berry borers takes place tomorrow morning. Participants meet at Pahala Community Center at 8 a.m. before going to a local coffee farm. Dr. Elsie Burbano, a researcher at UH-Manoa, and Pat Conant, an entomologist with the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture, show how to identify, monitor, trap and perform sanitation to manage the borers. Kyle Onuma, of the Ag Department’s Plant Pest Control Branch, shows how to spray to control the pests. Burbano urges timely action to minimize economic losses and distribution of the borers.

THE FIRST WEEKLY GREEN MARKET at Ocean View Community Center is this Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Some of the items for sale include fresh produce, herbs, flowers, plants and honey. Call 939-7033 for more information.

ALSO IN OCEAN VIEW, A DINNER at Kahuku Park on Paradise Circle in Ocean View on Saturday, June 4 will raise funds to support the Summer Fun program. Dinner is served at 5 p.m. and includes Chef John Repogle’s BBQ pork along with rice, corn and watermelon all for just $5. Beverages are $1, with desserts and other baked good also on sale. Activities before dinner include a slip and slide, face painting and games. Karaoke is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pre-sale dinner tickets are available. Call Robin at 939-8491 or Genny at 217-5593.

Ka`u News Briefs May 30, 2011

The Cloud Rest area will be the site of a field demonstration on the coffee berry borer this Wednesday morning.

REP. MAZIE K. HIRONO urged Hawai`i residents to refrain from taking for granted “the freedoms we enjoy by the grace of being Americans. It is important to remind ourselves that our freedom sometimes comes at a heavy price, paid in the lives of men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice defending this great nation.” She said that this Memorial Day, people gather in Hawai`i “to honor our fallen heroes, military service members, veterans and their families. Today, our troops are engaged in conflicts around the globe. So as we honor our country’s fallen, let us also remember those courageous men and women in uniform still in harm’s way.”

SEN. DANIEL INOUYE is in Japan to tour the tsunami-damaged towns and to talk about relocating American troops from Okinawa go Guam. He also plans to meet with leaders of the business community and stated that the relationship between the U.S. and Japan is very important in maintaining regional peace.

Skylark Lindsey

SKYLARK Lindsey, the emcee of the recent Ka`u Coffee Festival, won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Na Hoku Hanohano ceremonies Saturday in Honolulu. At the Association of Hawaiian Recording Artists event, Dennis Kamakahi and Cyril Pahinui played Ipo Lei Manu and Koke`e in her honor. Leslie Wilcox, of PBS, who produced a Long Story Short television show on Skylark, describes her warm voice and warm personality as well as her 

knowledge and understanding of Hawai`i people, music, history and values. Skylark lives here on the Big Island.

THE KA`U GONZO MUSIC SOCIETY is sponsoring a music festival today at Punalu`u from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The group covers rock ‘n’ roll, R & B and reggae, and also plays original songs. Other entertainers include Gary Cole (aka Foggy), the Mile 25 Band and an Elvis impersonator.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP HOSTS A TRIBUTE to those who made the ultimate Sacrifice for Freedom’s Sake in a ceremony today from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the KMC front lawn. Lt. Col. Rolland Niles, Commander of Pohakuloa Training Area, will deliver the keynote address.

A MEMORIAL DAY BUFFET at the Crater Rim Café follows the ceremony from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call 967-8371.

Controlling the coffee berry borer
is the topic Wednesday morning.

A FIELD DEMONSTRATION about coffee berry borers takes place this Wednesday morning. Participants meet at Pahala Community Center at 8 a.m. before going to a local coffee farm. Dr. Elsie Burbano, a researcher at UH-Manoa, and Pat Conant, an entomologist with the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture, show how to identify, monitor, trap and perform sanitation to manage the borers. Kyle Onuma, of the Ag Department’s Plant Pest Control Branch, shows how to spray to control the pests. Burbano urges timely action to minimize economic losses and distribution of the borers. 

A DINNER AT KAHUKU PARK on Paradise Circle in Ocean View on Saturday, June 4 will raise funds to support the Summer Fun program there. Dinner, served at 5 p.m., includes Chef John Repogle’s BBQ pork along with rice, corn and watermelon all for just $5. Beverages are $1, with desserts and other baked good also on sale. Activities before dinner include a slip and slide, face painting and games. Karaoke is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pre-sale dinner tickets are available. Call Robin at 939-8491 or Genny at 217-5593.