Ka`u News Briefs June 27, 2011

The Hawai`i County Band will march in the Na`alehu parade July 2 and Volcano parade July 4.  Photo by Julia Neal

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY yesterday celebrated providing a new four-bedroom, two-bath home in Ocean View for the Deanna and Kealoha Martin family. The mother of four said the family went through hard times and was reduced to living in a “bust up tent.” The father of the family thanked everyone and said his family had grown beyond his wife and children to the members of New Hope Church, Habitat and his neighbors. The new home allows the Martins to service an affordable mortgage without interest. It was provided with help from many community volunteers who offered labor and materials, as well as Habitat for Humanity, which provided financing and logistical support and funding.

The Martin family and friends with a tearful and thankful
prayer for their new Habitat home in Ocean View.
Photo by Julia Neal

    Volunteers, friends and family wrote words of hope on ribbons and attached them to a citrus free provided to the family along with other housewarming gifts and a luncheon. Habitat for Humanity—West Hawai`i covers an area that extends to Ocean View. Habitat for Humanity – Hilo covers the rest of Ka`u. The organization helps provide home ownership in a program that gives families a chance to work on their own success rather than giving them a handout. 

COUNCIL MEMBER BRITTANY SMART said she supports the 2 percent fund to purchase land for preservation but decided the money taken from property taxes to conserve lands for the public could be reduced for a year or two until the county finances are in better order. Last Friday, Smart voted along with seven of the other nine council members to cut the 2 percent fund in half. She said that she decided it was more important to pay ahead for benefits for retired workers, as the county has been doing for years, rather than delay those payments and wind up owing more to the retirement system next year.

COUNTY BAND funding was also a budget item that could have been cut for now, in favor of making payments into the pension system, said Smart. “Why we are funding the County Band while deferring pension payments is beyond me,” she said. She said the County Band could move into becoming a private nonprofit to open up more funding avenues. She also said she helped arrange for the county to cover the cost of transporting the band to Ka`u for the Independence Day Parade on July 2, which would have otherwise cost the sponsoring organization, `O Ka`u Kakou, $400. “The claims of the county cutting the band funding as killing a 128-year-old tradition is inaccurate if they have the amount of support for the band as they claim to have,” said Smart.

FIREWORK PERMITS FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY celebrations will be available this Wednesday, June 29 through Friday, July 1 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. However, you have to drive to Kona or Hilo to retrieve them. The county locations are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays at the Fire Administration Office at the County Building in Hilo and the Fire Prevention Kona Office located at the West Hawai`i Civic Center Bldg. They will also be available at Pinky’s along Hwy 11 in Papaikou and at Thunder Fireworks at 75-1022 Henry Street in Kailua-Kona. Each $25 permit entitles the holder to purchase 5,000 individual firecrackers. Permits will be issued to persons 18 years of age or older and are non-transferable and non-refundable. Permits, if purchased, should be visibly displayed at the site of use on the day at the time of the firing. The recent ban on consumer fireworks implemented on O`ahu does not affect Hawai`i County. Firecrackers (with a valid permit), and consumer fireworks will be allowed to be set off during the approved hours of 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. July 4th only. 

The Fire Department will parade July 2 and stand by for any
Fourth of July fireworks problems. Photo by Julia Neal

     Fire Chief Darryl Oliveira reminds the public it is illegal to remove the powder or pyrotechnic contents from any fireworks; throw fireworks from a moving vehicle; set off any fireworks at any time not within the time periods as permitted; set off any fireworks within 1,000 feet of any operating hospital, nursing home, home for the elderly or animal hospital or in any school building or on any school grounds and yards on any occasion; and to set off any fireworks on any highway, alley, street, sidewalk or other public way; in any park, or within 1,000 feet of a church during the periods when services are held.
     It is illegal for any person to offer for sale, sell, or give any fireworks to minors, and for any minor to possess, purchase, sell, or set off, ignite, or otherwise cause to explode any fireworks, except under the immediate supervision of an adult.
     The Hawai`i Fire Department also asks everyone to do their part to prevent fires and injuries caused by fireworks. Public Fireworks Displays will be at 8 p.m. on Coconut Island in Hilo; 8:30 p.m. from a barge off-shore on Ali`i Drive in Kailua-Kona and at 8 p.m. at Queen's Marketplace in Waikoloa.
     For more information on purchasing fireworks permits, or the use of fireworks, call the Fire Prevention Bureau at 932-2912 or 323-4760.

THE PAPAHANAUMOKUAKEA MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT is the topic at After Dark in the Park tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. UH graduate Jennifer Nelson discusses the Northwestern Hawaiian Island Chain, which is the single largest conservation area under the U.S. flag and one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world.

THERE IS STILL TIME TO SIGN UP to be part of the Na`alehu Independence Day Parade. The deadline is Friday, July 1. The parade travels down Hwy 11 on Saturday, July 2 beginning at 11 a.m. and is sponsored by `O Ka`u Kakou. Call 929-9872.
     The Volcano Parade is on Monday, July 4 at 9 a.m., starting at the Volcano Post Office on Old Volcano Hwy. Participants can show up at 8 a.m. Call 967-7800.

Ka`u News Briefs June 26, 2011

Keaiwa Farm Lots farmer James Hanka harvests bok choy for the Ocean View Green Market.  Photo by Julia Neal

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY has finished another project in Ka`u, this one a home in Ocean View for the Martin `Ohana. Habitat for Humanity, West Hawai`i is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization. The nonprofit works in partnership with people in need to build and renovate decent, affordable housing. The houses then are sold to the family at no profit and with no interest charged. 

     Residents can sign up to become recipients of help from Habitat or to volunteer, donate money, labor, building materials and even houselots through habitatwesthawii.org or call 331-8010. 

     A blessing for the Ocean View house for the Martin family was planned for today.

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY is proposing more geothermal energy for the Big Island. HELCO has issued a request for information to determine the best way to pursue geothermal development. The utility is seeking input from potential geothermal developers and interested landowners on next steps that take into account renewable energy goals and clean energy policy in “the state’s unique community, cultural, historical, and environmental context. See full RFI at http://GeothermalRFI.heco.com.

Geothermal already produces about 31 percent of renewable energy
statewide, and expansion is planned.  Photo by Puna Geothermal

     Questions or comments may be submitted via email, and answers will be posted on the site. Responses to the RFI are requested by Aug. 31.
     “Geothermal power is already a proven source of firm renewable power that can play an even larger role in Hawai`i’s clean energy future,” said Jay Ignacio, president of HELCO. “This is a first step, and with growing interest and discussions around the state we must consider the best approach because developing geothermal is unique.”
     Geothermal development differs from other renewable energy projects such as wind, solar, biofuel and biomass, waste-to-energy or hydro-electric, according the HELCO. “Community and cultural consultation are a critical part of the process. Typically, a geothermal project must begin with resource identification, resource evaluation, and drilling one or more test wells. These high-cost procedures must precede a formal project proposal. A resource verified through an exploratory well must be found before further steps, including production well drilling and plant construction can begin,” said a statement from the utility company. The RFI focuses on the early phase of geothermal development.”
     More than 30 percent of electricity on Hawai`i Island is generated from renewable resources, including hydro, wind, distributed photovoltaic, concentrating solar and geothermal.
     Puna Geothermal Venture, a subsidiary of Ormat Technologies, operates a 30-megawatt capacity geothermal plant and is planning to expand to 38 megawatts. A proposed purchase power agreement between HELCO and Puna Geothermal is now before the Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission.

MOSES ESPANIOLA III TEACHES `UKULELE today and every Sunday through July at the Old Pahala Clubhouse. The classes for beginning and intermediate youth and adults are held from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Call Chelle at 808-896-1911 for more information.

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are home to more than
7,000 marine species.  Photo by James Watt

THE PAPAHANAUMOKUAKEA MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT is the topic at After Dark in the Park this Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. UH graduate Jennifer Nelson discusses the Northwestern Hawaiian Island Chain, which is the single largest conservation area under the U.S. flag and one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world. 

THE GREEN MARKET at Ocean View Community Center happens every Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Farmers are invited to sell their foods. So far farmers from growing places like Keaiwa, up Wood Valley Road, have been bringing fresh vegetables, including lettuce, bok choy, kai choi and other oriental vegetables grown by James Hanka and his family. Call 939-7033 for more information.

THE INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE in Na`alehu on Saturday, July 2 will be preceded by a free pancake breakfast for everyone at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the same village. The parade will be held at 11 a.m. along Hwy 11, followed by the annual Fourth of July Rodeo at the Na`alehu Rodeo Grounds, which continues through Sunday, July 3.

Ka`u News Briefs June 25, 2011

The Two Percent fund has allowed the county to purchase such places for parks as lands surrounding
the Kawa surfing beach.  Photo by Julia Neal

THE TWO PERCENT LAND FUND is threatened by the County Council, with Ka`u’s council member Brittany Smart voting to cut it in half – down to one percent at yesterday’s council meeting. Only council member Angel Pilago voted to keep the funding intact. The two percent fund, also called the Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund, has been used to set aside coastal parklands in Ka`u and other places on the Big Island. It is generated by setting aside two percent of property tax revenues taken in by the county. 

     Mayor Billy Kenoi said that cutting the funding violates the county code. The council will vote on the matter again this coming Thursday. The council members who voted for reducing the two percent fund want to use the money to pay for retirees’ health insurance payments in advance.
     Council Chair Dominic Yagong proposed hiring an outside attorney to represent the council in this and other matters, but the measure was defeated in a 5 to 4 vote.

GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE told the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce yesterday that “the Big Island has the best possibilities in the entire world for alternative energy.” According to a report in West Hawai`i Today, the governor said he also sees the possibility of establishing a residential military base for families being relocated from the Okinawa marine base back to the U.S. He also said housing could be a possibility for the families of troops preparing for deployment at the Pohakuloa Training Area. West Hawai`i Today reported Abercrombie as saying, “PTA will be the center for training in the Pacific in the 21st Century.” 

No more mulch will be transferred from
Kona to Ka`u to help prevent further
spread of coffee borers into the famed
Ka`u Coffee farms. Photo by Julia Neal

TO HELP STOP THE SPREAD of the coffee berry borer, the Department of Environmental Management has discontinued hauling mulch from Kealakehe to Wai`ohinu transfer station. Island coffee growers recently brought to the county’s attention the possibility that hauling mulch from one coffee-growing district to another could contribute to the unwanted spread of the coffee berry borer infestation since the pests may be in the mulch. 

     “We appreciate everyone’s understanding and kokua in the effort to prevent the spread of the coffee borer pest on our island,” said Kevin Dayton, of the Office of the Mayor.
     A proposal to make compost from the county’s entire supply of green waste is currently being solicited among private vendors. Under this proposal, compost would be manufactured commercially, and the current practice of offering free mulch islandwide would end soon.
     Until then, free mulch is available at the Kealakehe and Hilo transfer stations. However, users should not transport the mulch to or near coffee-growing areas, Dayton said. 

TWELVE MORE BILLS WERE SIGNED into law by Gov. Abercrombie this week:
• Senate Bill 142 requires the Board of Land and Natural Resources to consider dams and reservoirs as important water resources for the State.
• Senate Bill 14 expands the authorized uses of the Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund to include the improvement of dams and reservoirs, and water quality testing and improvement.
• Senate Bill 1328 increases the motor vehicle registration fee from $25 to $45 and to deposit a portion into the general fund.
• House Bill 200 appropriates funds for the operating and capital improvement budget of the Executive Branch for fiscal years 2012 and 2013.
• House Bill 1020 revises the boundaries of the Aloha Tower complex and places the Aloha Tower Development Corporation under the Department of Transportation for administrative purposes.
• House Bill 117 expedites and facilitates work on construction projects within Special Management Areas.
• House Bill 555 extends the area applicable to graffiti removal from 100 yards to 250 yards and allows the court to require 100 hours of community service in lieu of graffiti removal.
• House Bill 593 requires candidates for county elective office to submit a sworn certification that the candidate has complied with the relevant provisions of the county charter and county ordinances.
• House Bill 960 establishes a program for granting low-income housing tax credit loans in lieu of housing tax credits. There is already $7 million appropriated for this function in the state budget.
• House Bill 1368 clarifies the filing process of nomination papers and also defines a party candidate and modifies the withdrawal process for a party candidate.
• House Bill 1434 clarifies that a single violation of the prevailing wage law refers to each separate project where the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations finds a contractor in violation of Hawai`i Revised Statutes Chapter 104.
• House Bill 1447 amends provisions in the Permitted Transfers in Trust Act (Act 182, SLH 2010) to strengthen Hawai`i’s trust laws and allow Hawai`i to compete with other states in this growing industry.
     For more information on these or all measures that have been signed into law, please visit http://capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011.

This fire, started by an electric tranformer along Hwy 11, raged through
brushlands and threatened the Old Pahala Clubhouse in 2007.
Photo by Julia Neal

FIRE SEASON IS HERE, and the Hawai`i Wildfire Management Organization met with residents this week in Na`alehu to teach the strategy Ready, Set, Go! 

     READY means being prepared by taking such actions as screening vents, which could help keep houses from imploding, as it prevents embers or sparks from entering the driest part of a house, under the roof. Specialists also pointed to areas around houses. Anywhere that leaves gather is the same place that embers will gather, because they are both wind driven.
     SET – Be aware of such threats as cigarette butts and catalytic converters and throwing green waste along the road, which can increase the chance of roadside ignition.
     GO – Set up your house so that, in case of fire, you can leave for your own safety without panicking. Get fire safe to leave early and be a part of the fire solution and not the fire problem.

SQUARE DANCING TAKES PLACE TONIGHT and every Saturday night at the Ocean View Community Center from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Everyone is invited, and children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.