Ka`u News Briefs Nov. 3, 2011

Ka`u High School buildings fit in with the architecture of the historic Pahala village.

EIGHTEEN MONTHS is the amount of time allotted to complete the $17.9 million federally certified Ka`u Gymnasium & Disaster Shelter. Council member Brittany Smart says she will notify the community as soon as the request for proposals goes out for design and construction bids. Smart told Big Island Video News that the county will “own” the design, which will be presented by the construction firms bidding on the project. She said the design will be “cookie cuttered” so that it could be used for other shelter/gyms around the island. 

The old gym will be maintained for sports and other community activities.
Photo by Julia Neal

     Smart also described the location for the Ka`u gym and shelter as on “state land in front of the school.” Citizens have written to state and county officials asking for the design to fit into the historic village and to take into consideration distance to homes and preservation of the open green on the schools grounds when finalizing the site for the project. Smart said the structure will require an Environmental Impact Statement.

THE COUNTY BUILDING CODE drew more concern from citizens yesterday at its ninth hearing on the proposed new building code, Bill 270. According to a Nancy Cook Lauer story in West Hawai`i Today, “In almost six hours of testimony, more than 60 residents pleaded with the Hawai`i County Council not to make them install expensive retrofits to their currently unpermitted homes or face up to $1,000 in fines and/or 30 days in jail for each day of violation.” Some worried they would be required to install double-paned glass windows and double-walled construction when building or remodeling their homes. Representatives of the building and planning departments explained that dwellings without heating or air conditioning do not need double walls or double window panes. However, there are many elements that the Council plans to review, and it voted 8 – 0 to reconsider,” West Hawai`i Today reported.

A SUSTAINABLE HABITAT ORDINANCE, which would loosen building code requirements for some dwellings on agricultural lands, is also before the Council. There is disagreement between state and county attorneys on whether the county has the authority to make the local building code less stringent than the state code. However, Council member Angel Pilago, who introduced the bill, is urging the Council to move forward.

Pres. Barack Obama signs off on the Congressional Gold
Medal with Sen. Daniel Inouye and Rep. Mazie Hirono
witnessing.  Photo from Office of Re. Hirono

KA`U’S NISEI WORLD WAR II VETERANS received their Congressional Gold Medals yesterday in Washington, D.C. Tokuichi Nakano and Iwao Yonemitsu were members of the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team along with Sen. Daniel Inouye, who also received the Gold Medal and delivered the remarks. He recalled: “Nearly 70 years ago, Pearl Harbor, a naval base in Hawai`i, was bombed by the Japanese, and everything changed. Soon thereafter, the government of the United States issued a directive designating all Japanese citizens of this nation and immigrants as 4-C. 4-C was the designation for an ‘enemy alien.’ 

     “We, gathered here, were designated ‘enemy aliens’ of the United States. However, we did not sit by and do nothing. We petitioned the government to give us the opportunity to demonstrate our love of country and our patriotism. That opportunity was granted, and thousands of men rushed to the draft boards to volunteer for military service.” 

Sen. Daniel Inouye and other Nisei received the Congressional
Gold Medal yesterday.  Photo from Office of Sen. Inouye

     When the 442nd returned to Hawai`i, they “found themselves declared to be members of the most decorated military unit in the history of the United States. Seventy years ago we were enemy aliens, but today, this great nation honors us in this special ceremony. We, gathered here this morning, are all proud Americans, and grateful to our nation for giving us the opportunity to serve our nation as loyal and patriotic citizens.”
     Sen. Dan Akaka said the medal is “not only celebrating their heroism and sacrifice, but perpetuating the legacy and courage of these brave soldiers for the next generation of Americans.”

The Congressional Gold Medal says Nisei Soldiers of
World War II and Go for Broke. On the back is a
traditional Hawaiian helmet and taro leaf among
other symbols.  Image from the U.S. Mint

     Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono also attended the ceremonies in D.C. and said,
 “Nearly 60 Nisei made the trip to D.C., many of whom are over 90 years old, showing the deep connection they have with each other, their military service, and their country. Their willingness to ‘Go for Broke’ set a legendary standard of service.”

MATH & READING SCORES ARE IMPROVING in Hawai`i, according to nationwide student achievement assessments released this week. While Hawai`i scores lower than the national average overall, fourth-grade reading improved by three points, and eighth-grade reading improved two points. Fourth-grade math improved three points, and eighth-grade math improved by two points. Hawai`i was the only state to show such improvement.

THE FARM BILL has been approved by the U.S. Senate. This secured funding for 2012 for Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and similar agencies. It also includes funding for Commerce, Justice, Science, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development.
     The Senate Appropriations Committee chair is Daniel Inouye, who said the bills are focused on a number of basic priorities: job creation, public safety, nutrition, housing, and transportation. It is bipartisan, fiscally responsible, and reflects the input of senators on both sides of the aisle.”

Gail Kalani and Melani Camba serve Bank of Hawai`i
customers in Pahala.  Photo by Julia Neal

BANK OF HAWAI`I has earned the highest possible rating from the Federal Reserve Board for its performance under the Community Reinvestment Act. This act requires federally insured deposit-taking institutions to support borrowing needs of all the communities where they do business, including low- and moderate-income areas. 

     The evaluation pointed to Bankoh’s efforts to serve the need for affordable housing targeted to low- and moderate-income individuals and families.

BIG ISLAND HOSPITALS are receiving new phone numbers this month. All phone numbers for Hawai`i Health Systems Corp.’s hospitals and clinics in the East Hawai`i region will be changing throughout the month as a new PBX phone system is installed.
     The new numbers are: Hilo Medical Center, effective Nov. 7, 932-3000; Hale Ho`ola Hamakua, effective Nov. 14, 932-4100; Ka`u Hospital, effective Nov. 21, 932-4200; Ka`u Rural Health Clinic, 932-4205.

William Aila, Jr.

SEN. GIL KAHELE co-sponsors public Listening Sessions with representatives of the Department of Land & Natural Resources tomorrow and Saturday. The DLNR administration team, including chairperson William J. Aila, Jr., first deputy and Volcano resident Guy H. Kaulukukui, and water deputy Bill M. Tam, is visiting Hawai`i Island to hear community comments, questions, and concerns regarding topics under the department’s jurisdiction. 

     Also attending will be members of the state Senate Committee on Water, Land and Housing, including chair Donovan Dela Cruz and vice chair Malama Solomon.
     The Hilo meeting will be tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Waiakea High School Cafeteria, and the Kona meeting will be Saturday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Konawaena High School Cafeteria in Kealakekua.

THE FALL FLING ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR is set for this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Punalu`u Bake Shop. Local artists offer their arts for holiday shopping, and entertainment is scheduled throughout the day. Call 929-8694 for more information.

HALAU HULA KA NO`EAU, with kumu hula Keikilani Curnan and Liana Aviero, perform hula kahiko on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on the hula platform overlooking Kilauea Crater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Cultural demonstrations take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Gallery. Park entrance fees apply.

Ka`u News Briefs Nov. 2, 2011

NOAA has plotted the possible paths of marine debris from the tsunami, with first year red, second year orange,
third year yellow, fourth year light blue and fifth year violet.  Image from J. Churnside, of NOAA

ONE MILLION DOLLARS to help clean up tsunami debris approaching Hawai`i and the U.S. mainland moved along inside a U.S. Senate bill yesterday. The $1 million insertion into the appropriations bill was made by Sen. Daniel Inouye, according to his staff. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 69 to 30 and now goes to conference with the House of Representatives. It is the same bill that would provides $4 million to the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration’s marine debris program, according to a report by Sophie Cocke in Civil Beat. 

With Japanese fishing fleets washed away during the
tsunami, nets are expected to reach Ka`u.
Photo from Hawai`i Wildlife Fund

     The Ka`u Coast, where marine debris commonly arrives to wash up on Kamilo and other shores, is expected to be a recipient of some of the 10 to 25 tons of flotsam from the March tsunami, and it could arrive as early as next year. 

     Inouye said that in recent months “federal agencies and scientists in Hawai`i working to track the flow of the tsunami debris have fretted openly about the potential for major marine ecosystem damage and the lack of a plan or money to deal with the debris.”
     “As an island state, Hawai`i is particularly susceptible to the impacts of marine debris and, all the more so, because we are located near the center of a great network of ocean currents in the Pacific that tend to concentrate debris into a wide region known as the “garbage patch,” said Inouye. He noted that Hawai`i is the first state to develop and implement a comprehensive marine debris action plan. 

DRUG TESTING COUNTY COUNCIL members moved toward becoming an item on the 2012 ballot. Initiated by County Council chair Dominic Yagong, the measure passed the council’s Governmental Relations Committee yesterday. The Council’s attorney recommended against the measure, and Council members Brittany Smart, J Yoshimoto, Fresh Onishi and Donald Ikeda agreed.
     However, the measure passed, with six committee members voting for it. Council member Brittany Smart said she voted for the measure “with reservations.” It will now go to a vote before the full Council.

     The bill is aimed at making drug testing for County Council members similar to those already required for many county employees. The county Corporate Counsel’s reason for opposing the drug testing was not revealed as the committee met with the attorney in a closed-door session.

NEW COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICTS, which could split Ka`u and send Brittany Smart into a contest against Brenda Ford during next year’s election, should they both decide to run, are the subject of a meeting tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the County Council chambers in Hilo. Proposed maps can be seen at: http://co.hawaii.hi.us/council/reapp/index.htm. Comments can be sent by email, U.S. mail or delivered in person.

THE 2012 KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL has been set for Saturday, May 12, and Ka`u Coffee Cooperative members and other supporters are welcoming the entire community to get involved and volunteer. This will be the fourth Ka`u Coffee Festival for the growing industry. Those interested in helping can call Ka`u Coffee Co-op president Gloria Camba at 928-8558.

Nani Kahuku `Aina's property is across from the Kahuku
Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

THE DEADLINE FOR NANI KAHUKU `AINA RESORT comments on its Draft Environmental Impact Statement are due Nov. 6. Sen. Gil Kahele is urging residents, pro and con, to send in their questions and comments. The developers want to change a swath of Conservation land along the ocean to Urban. The 16,000 acres where the resort would be located on 1,600 acres is across the highway from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s – Kahuku. 

     See the draft EIS at the state Department of Health website: http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Documents/EA_and_EIS_Online_Library/Oahu/2000s/2008-07-08-DEA-Kahuku-Village.pdf.

HEALTH INSURANCE RATES will go up 3.6 percent for the larger groups with health insurance from Hawai`i Medical Service Association. The proposal is before the state insurance division, which is also considering a hike proposed by Kaiser. The HMSA insurance hike would affect 84,000 HMSA members, which already were affected by a 14.8 percent hike this year and more than 11 percent last year. The additional increase would go into effect Jan. 1. HMSA earned a $5.8 million profit in the second quarter of this year. 

Students size up the soil on Olson Trust land during a Soil
Conservation District contest.  Photo by Julia Neal

SOIL CONSERVATION AWARENESS student winners have been announced by Soil & Water Conservation District. Last week, competition was held in the hills of Keaiwa on Edmund C. Olson Trust lands surrounding the new Ka`u Coffee Mill off Wood Valley Road, above Pahala. 

     Close to 30 contestants participated in this County of Hawai`i Conservation Awareness Contest designed to show off student skills in analyzing soil conditions. Pahoa High School scored 662 points, Kamehameha 436, and Konawaena 317. Ka`u Soil & Water Conservation District chair Brenda Iokepa-Moses said she hopes “that in the near future, our own Ka`u High will participate. It’s a shame with our district being the largest agricultural belt that we don’t have this kind of program intact for our future farmers,” she said.
     Olson Trust donated time and equipment for Frank Lorenzo to prepare several pits that were used in the soil evaluation portion of the competition.

SEN. GIL KAHELE co-sponsors public Listening Sessions with representatives of the Department of Land & Natural Resources this Friday and Saturday. The DLNR administration team, including chairperson William J. Aila, Jr., first deputy and Volcano resident Guy H. Kaulukukui, and Water deputy Bill M. Tam, is visiting Hawai`i Island to hear community comments, questions, and concerns regarding topics under the department’s jurisdiction.
     Also attending will be members of the state Senate Committee on Water, Land and Housing, including chair Donovan Dela Cruz and vice chair Malama Solomon.
     The Hilo meeting will be Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Waiakea High School Cafeteria, and the Kona meeting will be Saturday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Konawaena High School Cafeteria in Kealakekua.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS, the Day of the Dead, will be celebrated this evening to remember those who have passed away. Art and creative writing pieces have been submitted to Volcano Art Center, and participants vote for the most impactful, inspirational and festive submissions. Art and jewelry will also be available for purchase at the event, which begins at 5 p.m. and includes dinner and dancing. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door at the Niualani Campus of Volcano Art Center on Old Volcano Hwy. 

KEOKI KAHUMOKU’S annual music workshop starts this Saturday at Pahala Plantation House and runs through next week. A Veterans Day concert for the public will be held on Friday, Nov. 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
     Masters of guitar and `ukulele who will teach all week and perform at the concert include Dennis and David Kamakahi; Sonny Lim; John and Hope Keawe; George, Keoki and Moses Kahumoku; Herb Ohta, Jr.; Brittany Paiva; and James Hill. For last-minute sign-ups and scholarships for local youth, call Kahumoku at 938-6582.

Ka`u News Briefs Nov. 1, 2011

`Aina Koa Pono plans to build a refinery above Pahala and a biofuel farm on 13,000 acres between Pahala and Na`alehu
and ship the biofuel to the mainland.

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC CO. is “re-negotiating certain terms and conditions of the contract” with `Aina Koa Pono, which plans a refinery just off Wood Valley Road and a 13,000-acre biofuel farm between Pahala and Na`alehu. According to attorneys for the utility, if negotiations are successful, HECO “will be submitting a new contract, or possibly an amended contract, for approval with the Commission.” 

     The filing last week, now posted on the PUC website, indicates that the utility will not request by the Nov. 10 deadline, any reconsideration or further clarification of the PUC’s rejection of the AKP contract. 

     HECO lawyers wrote to the PUC, saying: “Hawaiian Electric Light Company, Inc., Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. and Maui Electric Company, Ltd. respectfully inform the Commission that the Companies have decided not to file a motion for reconsideration and/or clarification of the Decision and Order filed Sept. 29.” 

     The utilities said they used the time granted by the PUC to decide whether to appeal, in order to “analyze the impact of the Decision” and to open new contract discussions with `Aina Koa Pono-Ka`u.”
     `Aina Koa Pono has publicly stated that if it does not land a contract approved by the PUC for the electric company, it would attempt to establish its biofuel farm, build its refinery and sell the biofuel to a company in California for a higher price that HECO offered.

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC is asking the PUC for approval of another biofuel contract – this one to continue importing biofuel from Renewable Energy Group, of Iowa. A press release yesterday from HECO says Renewable Energy Group is the nation’s largest biofuel producer. The biodiesel is made from animal fat waste and used cooking oil. The contract calls for importing three to seven million gallons a year for electricity on O`ahu. Renewable Energy Group sold about 68 million gallons of biofuel last year. 

     HECO is negotiating with a number of Hawai`i-based biofuel companies and has three proposals before the PUC, awaiting approval.
     “We are committed to beating the legal requirement of 40 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030,” said Robbie Alm, Hawaiian Electric executive vice president. “We need to bring as much clean energy online as soon as possible.” 

HEALTH INSURANCE RATES from Kaiser Permanente would increase on Jan. 1 by 8.8 percent for some of its subscribers and 9.1 percent for others, according to its proposal to the state health insurance regulator. Kaiser raised its rates 12.6 percent at the beginning of this year and 10.7 percent last year. Kaiser recently extended its services to Ka`u for individuals and businesses.

Kamilo Beach in Ka`u will likely be a draw for tsunami
debris from Japan.  Photo from Center for a Livable Future

TSUNAMI DEBRIS drifting toward Kamilo Beach here in Ka`u and to other Hawaiian shores is difficult to track and plan for removal, due to lack of planning and funding, according to a Sophie Cocke story this morning in Civil Beat. The story reports scientists and federal officials conducting meetings concerning five to 25 million tons of “potential disastrous debris from the Japanese tsunami headed for the shores of Hawai`i and the West Coast.” According to Cocke, “they have been unable to come up with a cleanup plan, and no money appears to have been made available for the problem.” 

     The lead University of Hawai`i researcher on the problem, Nikolai Maximenko, said: “This is an emergency situation, and the problem is that we don’t have emergency funds,” Civil Beat reports.
     The STS Pallada ship out of Russia found debris weeks ago near Midway Island, and researchers predict that some of it could reach here next year, the story says. See more at civilbeat.com.

SEN. GIL KAHELE co-sponsors public Listening Sessions with representatives of the Department of Land & Natural Resources this Friday and Saturday. The DLNR Administration team, including chairperson William J. Aila, Jr., first deputy and Volcano resident Guy H. Kaulukukui, and Water deputy Bill M. Tam, is visiting Hawai`i Island to hear community comments, questions, and concerns regarding topics under the department's jurisdiction.
     Also attending will be members of the state Senate Committee on Water, Land and Housing, including chair Donovan Dela Cruz and vice chair Malama Solomon.
     The Hilo meeting will be Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Waiakea High School Cafeteria, and the Kona meeting will be Saturday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Konawaena High School Cafeteria in Kealakekua.

KAHELE ENCOURAGES public comment on the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Nani Kahuku `Aina resort proposal for land makai of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park – Kahuku between South Point and Hawai`i Ocean View Ranchos. The plan calls for state Land Use Commission reclassification of Conservation land near the ocean to Urban for hotel, condominium, estate, housing, golf course and commercial development. The resort would be set on the coastal section of 16,000 acres. The document is available online at the state Department of Health website and in hard copy at Na`alehu Library. Click on this link: http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Documents/EA_and_EIS_Online_Library/Oahu/2000s/2008-07-08-DEA-Kahuku-Village.pdf.

Dennis Kamakahi

David Kamakahi

KEOKI KAHUMOKU’S annual music workshop starts this Saturday at Pahala Plantation House and runs through next week. A Veterans Day concert for the public will be held on Friday, Nov. 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

     Masters of guitar and `ukulele who will teach all week and perform at the concert include Dennis and David Kamakahi; Sonny Lim; John and Hope Keawe; George, Keoki and Moses Kahumoku; Herb Ohta, Jr.; Brittany Paiva; and James Hill. For last-minute sign ups and scholarships for local youth, call Kahumoku at 938-6582.

HAWAIIAN TELCOM service will not be interrupted if its workers walk off the job, the telephone company reports. The International Brotherhood of Electric Workers local 1357 announced yesterday that its 708 workers employed by Hawaiian Telcom voted to strike. Management wants workers to pay for ten percent of their health care premiums – the company now pays 100 percent. It wants to reduce full-pay sick leave from 26 weeks a year to eight weeks. The company promised a wage increase of one percent a year and a $500-a-year ratification bonus.
     The union said it had proposed other cost saving measures. 

THE KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL is organizing for next year and welcomes volunteers to help the farmers with their fourth annual event in Pahala. The festival is open to everyone. The season begins with a Miss Ka`u Coffee pageant, followed by a two-day ho`olaule`a and education session with coffee tasting, a recipe contest, music, and coffee sales at Pahala Community Center. The meeting is at 5 p.m. tonight at Pahala Community Center.

The Housing Preservation Grant program
provides funds to repair health and
safety defects of homes in Ka`u.

THE HAWAI`I COUNTY ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL is taking applications from Ka`u homeowners for its Housing Preservation Grant program. The program removes health and safety defects from homes and makes accessibility improvements for handicapped family members. Applicants must have clear title to their homes and must have owned and occupied the home for at least one year. There are income limits, and applicants must have sufficient equity in their homes. 

     Homes must be complete and have health and safety defects such as leaky roofs, plumbing leaks, foundation and electrical hazards, wood-rot, insect damage or faulty catchment systems. Also, solar hot water systems may be installed.
     Repairs are done by licensed general contractors hired by the homeowners.
     The HPG program is funded by USDA Rural Development to improve the lives of rural communities and by the County of Hawai`i Office of Housing and Community Development to support affordable housing.
     HCEOC, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting poverty, has been carrying out HPG and other low-income housing programs for over 18 years. By the end of this year, HCEOC will have facilitated the removal of health and safety defects from 129 homes. Funding for 108 of these projects came from USDA Rural Development and the County and State of Hawai`i.