Ka`u News Briefs Nov. 10, 2011

Moses Kahumoku and students at the workshop with concert tomorrow at Pahala Plantation House.
Photo by Tamryn Fyvie

PA`A PONO MILOLI`I is taking a stand against the proposed Kahuku Village – Nani Kahuku `Aina development in a letter to county Planning director Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd and the Office of Environmental Quality Control, which has taken comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed oceanfront resort community.
     Pa`a Pono Miloli`i president Kaiali`i Kahele states, “It is our desire that the land from Ka Lae to Miloli`i should remain in the current state that it is in today. This area that we speak of is filled with cultural and historical artifacts, is home to hundreds of species of marine, mammal and plant life, and is the primary sustenance, survival and livelihood of the fishing village of Miloli`i and its residents.”
     The statement says that Pa`a Pono Miloli`i efforts of the Miloli`i/South Kona community “prevented similar projects such as the Hawaiian Riviera and the Farms of Kapu`a from ever coming to fruition.”

Uncle Willy Kaupiko, Miloli`i `opelu fisherman, teaches
keiki about the traditional Hawaiian art of `opelu fishing.

     The statement claims that the developers “failed to consult with citizen groups and individuals, including but not limited to Pa`a Pono Miloli`i and the residents of Miloli`i, which would be affected by the proposed action.”
     According to Pa`a Pono Miloli`i, “Miloli`i is the last Hawaiian fishing village and community in Hawai`i. Its unique status, both as an ecosystem and as a hub of traditional Hawaiian culture, is found in very few instances in the state of Hawai`i. Due to the geographical location of the proposed development, the draft EIS fails to conduct sufficient analysis as to the community's concerns.”
     Concerning wildlife, the statement says, “We feel the terrestrial wildlife, marine, coastal ecologies and water qualities studies are inadequate as to give the public opportunity to review and assess the impacts of the project. Specifically, the draft fails to consider the many endangered and threatened species within the area, including, but not limited to the Hawaiian monk seal, which is not even mentioned in the draft. The federal government has recently proposed designation of the coastal areas of the APE as critical habitat for the monk seal,” the statement says. 

Uncle Craig Carvalho using the glass box and throwing
the "ka`ai" bag into the `opelu school.

     The statement calls the developer’s proposed Kahuku Hawaiian Heritage Center “an insult to the County of Hawai`i.” It says that “the applicant places great emphasis upon this organization, but fails to mention in the draft that it is a newly formed nonprofit organization created less than nine months ago, led by the applicant out of an O`ahu office.” There is “currently no listed board of directors, and the organization does not allow for members, so it is unclear how this invites community involvement,” states Pa`a Pono Miloli`i.
     The statement concludes by saying, “Once again the community finds itself in a position where we are expending the little resources we already have to show how the applicant failed to comply with the law. The applicant is wealthy and well-resourced. We should not have to do their jobs for them.”

LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR NANI KAHUKU RESORT have gone to some public officials. Thalia Naidu, of Na`alehu, wrote that “resort development can be done to enhance the enjoyment and appreciation of the coastline and protection of archaeological sites if the right protections and mandates are put in place during the permitting process.”
     She said many “critical archaeological sites are being destroyed at South Point simply because the public is allowed to camp and trash, litter, and run ATVs all over the site without any type of facilities and proper protocols in place.” She claims that “few who spout opposition to development, seem to really care about genuinely caring for the `aina, and it is NOT the tourists who are to blame. Similar sites have been preserved, restored, protected and enhanced as educational resources which become available to the whole community as well as visitors at Waikoloa Beach Resort, and Keauhou Beach Hotel, as great examples. It is up to the community to ensure that this is done, without resisting the undeniable benefits a resort will bring,” states Naidu.
     Naidu claims that “those who oppose this resort are either retired, on welfare or disability and don’t need the jobs or care about the services and amenities conscious resort development will bring to this deprived and depressed area. I’m sure others are opposed because additional police protection, also badly needed in this area, might be a threat to their criminal activities.... Need I say more?” asks Naidu.
     She writes, “The Nani Kahuku `Aina Resort will likely spawn greater concern for these other areas by attracting more tourists who seem to appreciate the natural unspoiled beauty of the area more than the locals do.” Naidu contends that there are few work opportunities here and that the only alternative is to drive 50 or 60 miles every day, and this costs each family nearly $1,000.”

THE KAHUKU VILLAGE DRAFT EIS IS AVAILABLE online to read at the Hawai`i Department of Health’s Office of Environmental Quality Control website. The link is: http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Documents/EA_and_EIS_Online_Library/Hawaii/2010s/2011-09-23-DEIS-Kahuku-Village-Vol1.pdf. The developers are required to answer each question brought up by the public regarding their statements.

MAYOR BILLY KENOI is on O`ahu and hosted a dinner for APEC delegates featuring all locally grown foods. Since APEC delegates were unable to come to the Neighbor Islands, he and Mayor Bernard Carvalho of Kaua`i said they are taking the Neighbor Islands to APEC.

HOPE & JOHN KEAWE are among the performers at the Hawaiian music concert at Pahala Plantation House tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The concert is part of a weeklong workshop on Hawaiian slack key, `ukulele, steel guitar, hula, choir and composition as part of the Keoki Kahumoku Hawaiian Music and Lifestyle Workshop. Performing tomorrow will be George, Keoki and Moses Kahumoku, Dennis and David Kamakahi, James Hill, One Journey and the Ka`u High School Ensemble. The concert is free, and income from sales of bottled water and food, as well as donations, will go to the Ka`u High Ensemble and the Center for Hawaiian Music Studies. 

A VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION begins at 10 a.m. tomorrow in Na`alehu Park. Sponsored by the Ka`u Multicultural Society, the event features the Ka`u `Ohana Band with several marches to set a tone for the event, said band spokesman Robert Domingos. Speakers will include County Council member Brittany Smart. The event will include games for kids, displays of veteran photos and memorabilia. It begins with a blessing at 9 a.m., with entertainment to follow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP will host a Veterans Day ceremony and celebration tomorrow at 3 p.m. Speakers are Lt. Col. Joseph D’Angelo and Circuit Court Judge Edward Kubo. A buffet will be served at 4:30 p.m. at the Crater Rim Café. Fees apply. 

A KA`U BEACH CLEANUP is scheduled for this Saturday. Volunteers meet at Wai`ohinu Park to carpool to Kamilo Beach near South Point. Four-wheel-drive vehicle are required. To sign up, contact Megan Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com. 

COMPETITION IN FREE MAKAHIKI games on Saturday, Nov. 19 is open to children in grades 6 to 12. The event takes place at Na`alehu Park from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required. Call 985-6019.

Ka'u News Briefs Nov. 9, 2011

Kawa is a popular place for local camping, surfing and fishing. Photo by Julia Neal

NEARLY 800 ACRES OF KAWA LAND are now in the public domain. The county’s latest purchase of more than 550 acres for $3.9 million has closed with the assistance of the community, nonprofit organizations and government agencies, as well as a price discounted by several million dollars by the Edmund C. Olson Trust. “I have loved Hawai`i since I first came here for business in the 1960s. I am happy that this shoreline land will remain in public hands in the future. Hawai`i has been good to me, and I am pleased to give back to the community,” said Olson. Olson purchased the land from local landowner and macadamia grower Thomas Okuna after the two were introduced with the idea of Olson buying Kawa land to preserve it. Olson vowed to hold onto the property until the community could raise funds to buy it for preservation.

Federal and state funding for Kawa is aimed at protecting the
estuaries at Kawa. Photo by Julia Neal

      The effort to preserve Kawa and the Ka`u Coast began years ago. In July of 2004, then County Council member Bob Jacobson appealed to government agencies in Hawai`i and Washington, D.C. to help protect wetlands at Honu`apo, Kawa and Punalu`u, even if it meant borrowing money to buy them.
       In October of 2004, the film Saving Ka`u’s Coast was released, promoting preservation of Kawa, Honu`apo and Punalu`u. The award-winning film, directed by Danny Miller and co-produced and funded by The Ka`u Calendar newspaper, was provided to government leaders, nonprofits and other funders, as well as distributed to public libraries and community groups.

       The film identified Kawa, Honu`apo and Punalu`u coastal areas as Ka`u’s three most easily accessed coastal areas for fishing, surfing and recreation for local residents and as important wetland habitats for wildlife. It also identified the three as the most likely coastal areas to be developed in Ka`u.
       The film included community leaders such as Guy Enriques, John Replogle, Bill Gilmartin, the Trust for Public Land’s Josh Stanbro, and Abel Simeona Lui. 

A surf contest draws vehicles all the way to the beach for
oceanfront parking. Photo by Julia Neal

       In the film, Simeona Lui, who has now lived on the Kawa property for more than 20 years, said that Kawa should be preserved for everyone, with Simeona Lui as the host and caretaker. Despite his protests and claims that his family was the rightful owner, former Ka`u realtor Marcia Johnson and partners purchased 235 acres from Okuna. The hui put the land up for sale on the open market in 2005 with advertisements in real estate magazines calling Kawa “one of the best bays in Ka`u.”

      In 2008, the county was able to purchase the Kawa land that was advertised for sale. The parcels just purchased by the county from Olson completes the effort to put Kawa in the pubic domain. 

      Simeona Lui, however, still lives there and objects to public ownership, has been turned down by government agencies and courts in his attempt to stop it, and said he would fight any eviction that could be planned by the county. He and his followers fly the flags of Hawaiian sovereignty.
      Mayor Billy Kenoi said that county officials have been meeting with community and cultural stakeholders for many weeks, listening to their concerns and recommendations. Kenoi said the wishes of the entire Ka`u community will drive the county’s actions at Kawa.

Camping at Kawa has increased in recent decades.
Photo by Julia Neal

      State Board of Land & Natural Resources chair William Aila, Jr. described the preservation of lands at Kawa as “a good example of how federal, state, and county funds can come together to protect a valued community resource.”

      According to a joint release from government agencies, the Trust for Public Land and the Olson Trust, “A public-private partnership consisting of the County, the State Legacy Land Conservation Program under the State Department of Land and Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Recovery Land Acquisition Program, the Trust for Public Land, and many community members and stakeholders, made the $3.9 million purchase possible.” 

     The state provided $1.5 million, the federal government provided $1 million, and $1.4 million came from the Hawai`i County’s Open Space Land Fund.

THE EXACT SITE OF THE CELLULAR TOWER planned for land on Maile Street in Pahala is yet to be revealed, according to a spokesman for Crown Castle U.S.A. The 60-acre parcel is the old mill site and includes potential cell phone tower locations across from houses, near a preschool and the community clubhouse. It also includes potential cell tower sites below the old sugar mill warehouse, away from buildings. A notice published in the Hawai`i Tribune Herald asks for public comment by Nov. 28. Crown Castle must comply with the federal National Environmental Policy Act, which requires such public notice.
       The notice says that “Crown invites comments from any interested party on the impact of the proposed tower on any districts, sites, structures or object significant in American history, archaeology, engineering or culture that are listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
      “Specific information regarding the project is available for comments by calling Janis Merritts at 480-735-6931 during normal business hours” in Arizona.

Strawberry guava. Photo from NPS

STRAWBERRY GUAVA, considered an invasive plant that threatens native forests, is the target of control by the release of a Brazilian insect into the environment. The state Department of Agriculture made the announcement yesterday, saying it will first release the scale bug Tectococcus ovatus in Volcano and the Ola`a Forest Reserve. The ag department’s environmental assessment concluded release of the insects would result in no significant environmental impact. 

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP hosts a Veterans Day ceremony on Friday at 3 p.m. in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Keynote speaker is Circuit Court Judge Edward Kubo. Guest speaker is Lt. Colonel Joseph D’Angelo. A buffet follows at 4:30 p.m. at the Crater Rim Café. Fees apply. 

Brittany Smart

A VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION will be held in Na`alehu Park, sponsored by the Ka`u Multicultural Society. The Ka`u `Ohana Band will provide several marches to set a tone for the event, said band spokesman Robert Domingos. Speakers will include County Council member Brittany Smart. The event will include games for kids, displays of veteran photos and memorabilia. It begins with a blessing at 9 a.m., with entertainment to follow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

MISS KA`U COFFEE, BRANDY SHIBUYA, will be welcomed home after winning the islandwide Miss Aloha Hawai`i competition in Kona. She will dance hula this Friday at the Veterans Day Concert, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. Also on stage will be One Journey; the Ka`u High School Ensemble; the Rev. Dennis Kamakahi; David Kamakahi; George Kahumoku, Jr.; Moses Kahumoku; John and Hope Keawe; James Hill; Anne Davison and more. Plate lunches and bottled water will be on sale as a fundraiser for the Ka`u High Ensemble. They will be joined by the Miss Ka'u Coffee Pageant Court.

A KA`U BEACH CLEANUP is scheduled for this Saturday. Volunteers meet at Wai`ohinu Park to carpool to Kamilo Beach near South Point. To sign up, contact Megan Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

Ka`u News Briefs Nov. 8, 2011

A Crown communications tower between Pahala and Na`alehu with
KAHU radio founder Wendell Ka`ehu`ae`a.  Photo by Julia Neal

A CELLULAR PHONE TOWER is planned for Maile Street in Pahala, according to a small legal-style notice that was published in the Hilo newspaper on Nov. 2. The cell tower is proposed by Crown Castle USA, which owns more than 23,000 cell towers across the United States. The notice describes the address as 96-3207 Maile Road in Pahala. There is no Maile Road in Pahala, and the notice is likely referring to the old mill site on Maile Street. 

     Castle already owns two cell towers on the old cane haul road between Pahala and Na`alehu. The notice says that “Crown invites comments from any interested party on the impact of the proposed tower on any districts, sites, structures or object significant in American history, archaeology, engineering or culture that are listed or determined eligible for listing the National Register of Historic Places.”
     Specific information regarding the project is available for comments by calling Janis Merritts at 480-735-6931 during normal business hours in Arizona. The notice says that comments must be received by Nov. 28, 2011. However, the notice has neither a postal nor an email address for comments.

SCHOOL LUNCH PRICES will go up, according to a measure passed by the state Board of Education last month. A story by Colin Stuart in the Hawai`i Tribune Herald says that the Department of Education needs to raise $6 million to pay for instruction and other expenses. 

Brian De Lima

     Stuart quoted Big Island BOE member Brian De Lima as saying the decision to hike lunch prices was difficult. “We were discussing the next supplemental budget, and we knew that one of the things that needs to occur is we want to spend more money in the classroom,” De Lima said. “So the question came up: ‘Is providing lunch a core function (of the school system)?’” 

     The price of lunches will go up 90 percent, and the BOE is hoping to phase in the increase over two years, the Tribune Herald story says.
     Reduced prices and free lunches for qualifying students of low-income families would remain the same price.

A WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED TO THE PUBLIC regarding an offer for a high interest savings rate offered by Advanced Financial & Consulting Group, LLC. An advertisement was circulated offering six percent and five percent interest rates. According to the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Division of Financial Institutions, the company is not licensed by the state banking division. The department verified with the FDIC that the company is not insured by the FDIC. Consumers are asked to file a complaint with DFI if they have invested funds with this company. A DFI complaint form is available on DFI’s website at http://hawaii.gov/dcca/dfi, or the consumer may file a letter complaint.

Miss Ka`u Coffee and Miss Aloha
Hawai`i, Brandy Shibuya

MISS KA`U COFFEE, BRANDY SHIBUYA, will be welcomed home on Friday after winning the islandwide Miss Aloha Hawai`i competition in Kona. Shibuya will be welcomed at the Veterans Day Concert this Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. She will perform hula. Also on stage will be One Journey; the Ka`u High School Ensemble; the Rev. Dennis Kamakahi; David Kamakahi; George Kahumoku, Jr.; Moses Kahumoku; John and Hope Keawe; James Hill; Anne Davison and more. Plate lunches and bottled water will be on sale as a fundraiser for the Ka`u High Ensemble. 

NOVEMBER VISITOR ARRIVALS to Hawai`i, statewide, are up eight percent, along with higher hotel occupancy rates. The improving visitor industry posted $2.14 billion in revenue in the first nine months of this year, up 13.4 percent over the same period last year and 21 percent higher than 2009. The hotel occupancy rate remained relatively low on the Big island in September, but increased to 58.3 percent from 51.9 percent for September last year. The statewide occupancy rate was 74.5 percent, with the highest on O`ahu at 84.1 percent, followed by Kaua`i at 71 percent and Maui at 65.9 percent.

Bill Chapman

THE HISTORY OF VOLCANO HOUSE is the topic of After Dark in the Park tonight at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitors Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Historian and archaeologist Bill Chapman, a professor at University of Hawai`i-Manoa, will focus on the first Volcano House. He works on documenting historic buildings and sites within the national park when he comes here each summer with a class of college students.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER is the site of the Ka`u Community Development Plan Steering Committee tonight at 5:30 p.m. Much of last month’s meeting was postponed to listen to community concerns about an idea to incentivize for new homes in Ocean View to be built in a more centralized neighborhood closer to Hwy 11, utilities and other services. Most of those who spoke said they like living remotely, while planners said that fast growth could make their dwellings no longer remote and create traffic and other problems as experienced in the last decade in Puna. Tonight’s meeting will focus on the overall progress of the Ka`u Community Development Plan.