Ka'u News Briefs Nov. 14, 2011

Open spaces at Ka`u High School will be studied for the location of the new $17.9 million gym and disaster shelter.
Photo by Julia Neal

THE NEW KA`U HIGH SHOOL DISASTER SHELTER and gym to be built in Pahala will be the subject of a community meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 15. According to an announcement from the county, “the County Department of Public Works is inviting residents to share their ideas on the features and functionality for a new Ka`u District Gym and Shelter on the grounds of Ka`u High and Pahala Elementary School.” The building will double as an emergency/evacuation shelter. The meeting will be at the Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary School Cafeteria from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
     The $17.9 million project funded by the state is scheduled to be completed in under two years. It will be owned and operated by the county and provided to the school and community for use as a gymnasium. It will also be equipped for disaster preparedness, including filtration systems to clean the air for vog and will be used as a shelter during vog events and for such events as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and fires. 

The Ka`u High Gym, built in the 1930s, will continue to serve the school
for events and athletics.  Photo by Julia Neal

     Comments already submitted to state and county government include the question of placing the building on the open green between the cafeteria, gym, tennis courts, outdoor basketball courts and near private homes, or siting it between the swimming pool and music building, within the school complex.
     Other discussion in the community includes whether there will be a requirement in the bidding process to create a design that fits into the architecture of the school buildings that are on the Hawai`i State Register of Historic Places, without compromising its use as a disaster shelter. Whether there will be an alternative energy component, such as solar for hot water and electricity is another point of discussion, as power from the electric company could be cut off during a disaster. Whether the tennis courts would stay or be relocated is another concern, as well as how close the building and its parking lots would be to adjacent residential housing. Another question is where will people park their vehicles when they attend events, since the proposed location is the grassy parking area for most major events at the school.
     Ross Stephenson, of the State Historic Preservation Division, said that it is always important for the community to provide comments before public buildings are designed, since designing and engineering costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Community members often comment only after the design is well underway. It is sometimes too late to include their suggestions.
     The plan is to preserve the old gym, constructed in the 1930s, as additional space for school and community events, as well as athletics.
     Council member Brittany Smart will not be able to attend. She will be at meetings in Kona, where money for maintenance of county land purchased through the Two Percent Land Fund comes up before the County Council Finance Committee.
     Noelani Whittington, public information specialist for the Department of Public Works, said that emails were sent out last Thursday to alert the public that the meeting will be held tomorrow.

Lincoln Ashida

LINCOLN ASHIDA WILL RUN FOR COUNTY PROSECUTOR, he announced yesterday. He is seeking to replace Jay Kimura, who worked for the county as an attorney for more than 30 years before announcing his retirement. Ashida also has a career with the County of Hawai`i and has been its corporate counsel since 2000. Ashida, 49, spent his childhood in Papaikou and is a graduate of Hilo High, the University of Michigan and Creighton University School of Law. In addition to working for the county, Ashida teaches political science at the University of Hawai`i-Hilo. With the announcement, Ashida launches his campaign to be elected, with the primary early next year, taking place on Aug. 11. According to a report by Stephens Media this morning, Ashida has set priorities for the prosecutor, including county prosecutors being the best attorneys in the courtroom through training, mentoring and support; restoration of comprehensive training programs for the police and teamwork to include crime victims; and every attorney to be assigned a community to identify and help clean up crime areas and prevent crime victimization. 

NOAA proposes extending monk seal critical habitat.

A PROPOSAL TO REVISE MONK SEAL critical habitat designations has been re-opened for public comment. Except for areas excluded for national security reasons, the proposal extends critical habitat from the 200-meter depth contours to the 500-meter depth contours surrounding the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the main Hawaiian Islands. It also includes previously excluded Sand Island at Midway. 

     The National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which submitted the proposal, is responsible for ensuring the survival and recovery of the endangered monk seal. NOAA Fisheries, in partnership with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, has worked for more than 20 years to address the monk seal’s decline. However, 40 percent of its population has been lost in the last ten years, and it is facing the threat of extinction, according to NOAA. The agency reports that only about 1,100 seals remain, and an additional four percent of the population is lost each year. 

     The proposal, identified as 0648-BA81, can be read at www.regulations.gov. The link is http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2011-0041-0001. Comments can be submitted at the website or sent to Regulatory Branch Chief, Protected Resources Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI, 96814. The comment period closes on January 6, 2012.

VOLCANO ART CENTER has put out an open call for art that responds to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Original art work in all media including painting, sculpture, photography, sketches, poetry, writing or performance will be included in an exhibit called Occupy Art. Artwork can be dropped off Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 28 and 29 between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. 

     The exhibit is scheduled for Dec. 2 – 9. For more information, call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.

Ka'u News Briefs Nov. 13, 2011

Auntie Kaiwi Perkins teaches lauhala weaving to students at the annual Hawaiian Music and Lifestyle Workshop.
Photo by Julia Neal

COOPERATION ON CLEAN ENERGY INITIATIVES between the State of Hawai`i and the federal government was a topic of a roundtable discussion at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Honolulu yesterday. U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Sen. Dan Inouye and Gov. Neil Abercrombie led talks aimed at partnerships for clean energy initiatives between the State of Hawai`i and the federal government. 

     The U.S. energy chief called the Hawaiian Islands “a perfect test-bed for us.” Those who convened talked about what is called “operationalizing” renewable energy, smart grid advancements, biofuel development, and building an interisland cable. 

Big Island promoters at APEC included David Howard
Donald, of the Volcano Project; County Council member
Brittany Smart; Sen. Gil Kahele; and Anne Lee, of the
Volcano Project; shown here with Honolulu Council
member Stanley Chong.

     Inouye said: “Hawai`i is a natural alternative energy test-bed due in large part to the many partnerships we enjoy.” The senator pointed to the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense as “active and valued partners to assist in the rapid deployment of renewable energy technology to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. We must have the political will to stay the course not just for us but for the next generation. It is time to take our test-bed to the next level,” proclaimed Inouye. 

     The U.S. Secretary of Energy said, “The Obama Administration and Governor Abercrombie share a commitment to promoting the use of locally produced, clean renewable energy. As we compete in the global marketplace for the clean energy jobs of tomorrow, we need to continue to invest in the technologies that will create jobs here in Hawai`i and ensure American companies remain competitive. I look forward to continuing and growing the strong partnership between the Department of Energy and the State of Hawai`i,” Chu said. 

     Abercrombie added, “The partnership we have with the federal government is a key ingredient in reaching the goals we have as an island state. In reaching these goals, we are not only protecting ourselves from the volatility of outside fossil fuel markets, but are setting standards for the rest of the country and the world in the application of clean energy technologies.”
     A participant from the Big Island was Barry Mizuno, of Puna Geothermal. Others included: Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission chair Hermina Morita along with PUC commissioner Mike Champley; Hawaiian Electric executive vice presidents Robbie Alm and Colton Chong; Richard Lim, director of the Hawai`i Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism; Richard Carlin, head of the Sea Warfare & Weapons Department at the Office of Naval Research; Ross Roley, a senior military analyst with the PACOM Energy Office; and CMDR Joelle Simonpietre of PACOM J81, Innovation & Experimentation Energy Team.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA described his home state of Hawai`i at the APEC dinner in Honolulu last night “in the center of the Pacific.” He said: “Here we’re reminded of the progress that’s possible when people of different backgrounds and beliefs come together. This is the most diverse state in our nation, home to so many races and immigrants and Americans who trace their roots back to many of your countries.” Said Obama, “Hawai`i’s not perfect, but I think Hawai`i comes about as close as you’ll come to a true melting pot of cultures. Here we’re a single `ohana, one family. 

     “We remember that beneath the surface, behind all the different languages and some very long names, we all share the same hopes, the same struggles and the same aspirations,” he said. “And we’ve learned that we’re more likely to realize our aspirations when we pursue them together. That’s the spirit of Hawai`i. It’s what made me who I am. It’s what shapes my interactions with all of you. And it’s the spirit that I hope guides us in our work this weekend.”

State Rep. Clift Tsuji, chair of the state
House Agriculture Committee, helps
Anne Lee, of the Volcano Project,
promote coffee from Ka`u Coffee Mill.

KA`U COFFEE went to some APEC leaders as a gift provided by the Volcano Project and Ka`u Coffee Mill. Ka`u Coffee Mill is milling and roasting coffee just off Wood Valley Road and is developing a hydroelectric system that could take it off grid, with electricity to run the mill and the nearby macadamia husking plant operated by Olson Trust, said land manager John Cross. 

FREE-RANGE KA`U BEEF was another product served at APEC. Chef Mark Noguchi chose the Galimba family’s Kuahiwi Ranch short ribs for a dinner.

COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER BRITTANY SMART was seen at APEC. She attended receptions, along with Mayor Billy Kenoi, and took in speeches and visited displays. U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, state Sen. Gill Kahele and state Rep. Bob Herkes were also on hand.

MONEY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THOUSANDS OF ACRES of county land purchased through what is known as the Two Percent Land Fund comes up before the County Council Finance Committee this Tuesday at its Kona meeting in the West Hawai`i Civic Center. A measure proposed by council member Brenda Ford would set aside .25 percent of property tax revenues to take care of these lands. The majority of them are in Ka`u, including 3,000 acres at Road to the Sea between Ocean View and Manuka, and more than 1,000 acres between Honu`apo and Punalu`u. The funds could total about $500,000 a year. The maintenance fund would be capped at $3 million, with any excess going into the open space land fund used to purchase properties for preservation.
     One plan would allow nonprofit organizations to apply for grants of up to $20,000 to perform maintenance and conservation work. Such community organizations as Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo, who partners with the county in maintaining the park, could apply.
According to a Stephens Media report, Ford said that the money would not be available for constructing new facilities on the public lands. “This is maintenance. This is so the land doesn’t degrade in some way. What this fund is not supposed to be is drained by capital improvement projects we don’t even know about today.”
     According to the story by Erin Miller, there is discussion about whether to provide the maintenance money to the Finance Department of the Department of Parks and Recreation.

VOLCANIC HAZE SAT OVER KAPAPALA & PAHALA this morning for an unusually long time, as compared to the mostly clean air experienced over the last year. According to the Hawai`i Short Term Advisory Map, air was classified as Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups beginning at 12:15 a.m. this morning, and had remained for more than eight hours until returning to a good level as of 8:45 a.m. Recent trends have shown Moderate SO2 lasting for 15 minutes and a half hour, and usually less than a couple of hours. The air quality monitor is stationed on the grounds of Ka`u High School and can be seen at www.hiso2index.info.

AN EARTHQUAKE MEASURING a magnitude of 3.3 occurred along the coast eight miles east of Pahala at about 2:15 a.m. this morning. 

THE ANNUAL KAHUMOKU MUSIC & LIFESTYLE WORKSHOP wrapped up in Pahala yesterday. In addition to the singing, guitar, steel guitar, cello, violin and hula lessons, students learned lauhala weaving under the guidance of Auntie Kaiwi Perkins. Ka`u youth can sign up for free attendance at the weeklong workshop set for 2012 by calling Keoki Kahumoku at 935-0643.

THE KA`U FOREST RESERVE is the subject of an Environmental Assessment for its management plan. Ron Terry, of Geometrician Associates, which is conducting the study, discusses the Reserve at the next Ka`u Chamber of Commerce meeting on Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Punalu`u Bake Shop.

Ka'u News Briefs Nov. 12, 2011

Choir practice, led by Darci Baker at the Kahumoku workshop, was a daily routine this week in Pahala,
 with a performance on Veterans Day.  Photo by Tamryn Fyvie

VETERANS DAY IN KA`U was celebrated at three venues: Kilauea Military Camp, Pahala Plantation House and Na`alehu Park. Na`alehu Park hosted veterans from World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars. Pastor Troy Gacayan, of River of Life Assembly of God, opened the ceremony with a prayer. 

     Tokuichi Nakano, just back from receiving the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington, D.C., was honored for his service with the 442nd in World War II.
     Korean War veteran Raymond Fujikawa talked about hunger shown by children with whom he shared his K-rations during the Korean War. He said he felt so fortunate to be an American when he came home and saw the contrast – all the healthy Hawaiian children dancing hula at the Tripler military hospital on O`ahu.
     Vietnam War veterans Filipe Sales and Sonny Ramos talked about the environment of Vietnam, the villages and rice paddies and their various responsibilities during the war, stressing their brotherhood and service to the country. 

The Ka`u High School Ensemble sings and dances for Veterans Day.
Photo by Tamryn Fyvie

     The Rev. Kevin Brown, of Na`alehu Assembly of God, himself a veteran, introduced his church choir and talked about the importance of God and country. He asked veterans to stand as the anthems of each military service branch were played.
     County Council member Brittany Smart talked of her family’s service in the military, including that of her brother and her father.
     Veteran motorcycle groups rode to the park, and many bikers wiped their eyes throughout the ceremonies. Hula was performed by an Ocean View halau, and the Ka`u `Ohana Band played.

Rebecca Kailiawa
Photo by Julia Neal

AT PAHALA PLANTATION HOUSE, Veterans Day was a musical event and a fundraiser for the Ka`u High School Ensemble, which sold out its plate lunches and performed. Miss Ka`u Peaberry Rebecca Lynn Kailiawa-Escobar danced, and Miss Ka`u Coffee Brandy Shibuya made an appearance. Shibuya recently won Miss Aloha Hawai`i and will be headed for the Miss Hawai`i pageant on O`ahu. Performers yesterday included John and Hope Keawe; a choir led by Darci Baker, of Kamehameha Schools; many of the students on scholarship in the weeklong Kahumoku workshop; Moses, Keoki and George Kahumoku, Jr. `Ukulele master James Hill and cellist Anne Davison brought down the house. 

The Rev. Dennis Kamakahi says he will move to Ka`u.
Photo by Julia Neal

     The legendary composer and performer, the Rev. Dennis Kamakahi, announced that, within about a year, he will be moving to Ka`u, where his wife grew up. He said he longs for the peaceful lifestyle of Ka`u and plans to teach and set up a recording studio here. 

THE PROPOSED RESORT DEVELOPMENT AT KAHUKU VILLAGE has drawn more comments regarding its Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the land extending from Hwy 11 to the Pacific, between Ka Lae and Hawaiian Ocean View Ranchos. Volcano resident and scientist Rick Warshauer suggests that the proposed resort site may better serve the public as an addition to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. He suggests that adding it to the park is consistent with the land’s present wilderness condition. He contends, “this land is the only logical and feasible place where the slopes of Mauna Loa volcano can be connected from the summit to the ocean (via its most active and hazardous location). The national park contains the summit of Kilauea volcano and its most direct slope to the ocean, and doing the same for Mauna Loa is certainly consistent with the park’s name and mission.” 

The red is Lava Zone 2, which covers Nani Kahuku
`Aina's proposed development site.

     Warshauer also writes about the geologic hazard and risk of placing a resort and residential community on the Nani Kahuku `Aina site. “The barren lava flows that dominate the project area underscore the main shortcoming of this proposed development, its similar predecessor (the Hawaiian Riviera) and any other potential development of the area.” He says the site lies “within one of the most volcanically hazardous areas in the United States. It is completely within Hazard Zone 2, and the barren flows reflect the recurrence and frequency of lava flow inundation in this part of Lava Flow Hazard Zone 2.”
     Warshauer gives the example of Puna areas in Lava Flow Hazard Zone 2, where over 2,000 lots have been covered or cut off by lava flows to date. He contends that the Draft EIS fails to address the seriousness the lava flow risk deserves, “despite acknowledging that one regional lava flow reached the ocean in three hours.” He writes that resort and residential developments in Hawai`i “are long-term commitments of the landscape, and all planning and governmental approvals need to consider this long-term aspect in such a geologically hazardous region. In doing so, one must consider that the probability of lava flows entering the subject area during its design life is nearly a certainty, not a remote possibility.” 

Lava flows since 1800, shown in orange, flowed into
Nani Kahuku `Aina's resort development site.

     Warshauer says the only response to lava flow threat is evacuation on the two-lane Hwy 11. The road connecting Kahuku with the rest of the island has been transected by lava flows in ten or more places since 1868 on both sides of the proposed resort site. “The prospect of successful evacuation is quite challenging now, and will grow enormously as build-out of the barely filled subdivisions (in Ocean View) progresses. To add more development area and 9,000 more people to such evacuation chaos, as proposed by this development, is simply unconscionable, and I hope that County and State officials recognize this and appropriately explain their decisions,” he writes.
     Concerning wilderness aspects of the resort development, Warshauer states that “South Kona and Ka`u have the largest remaining tracts of undeveloped coastal/lowland area remaining in Hawai`i, and the proposed project area lies in the middle of it. This wilderness aspect in itself is an intrinsic asset value that is overlooked in the Draft EIS, but deserves proper consideration. While the Draft EIS referred to a no action alternative and postponed development alternative, it did not acknowledge preserving this unique regional wilderness aspect as an alternative action,” states Warshauer.

A HIKE AT THE KAHUKU UNIT of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow focuses on the area’s human history, from the earliest Hawaiians through today. The two-mile, three-hour, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain begins at 9:30 a.m. The gate, between mile markers 70 and 71 on Hwy 11, opens at 9 a.m.