Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 23, 2012

The Draft Environmental Assessment for the new Ka`u District Gym & Shelter is now available for public comment.
Drawing from PBR Hawai`i

THE NEW KA`U DISTRICT GYM AND SHELTER plans have been released to the public in a Draft Environmental Assessment. The complex is expected to cost more than $17 million. 

      Copies of the document have been mailed to community members who requested them along with community associations and some people living near the site. They should also be available at Na`alehu and Pahala Public Libraries. The EA also is posted for review on the state Department of Health’s Office of Environmental Quality Control website. The public has a month to comment.
      The Draft EA shows cinder block buildings, with plantation style rooflines, constructed on the open grassy field next to Ka`u High School between the tennis court and the current gym and surrounded by parking lots that could be paved, partially paved, or remain grassy.

      “The Ka`u District Gym & Shelter will be noticeable from Kamani Street and will change the visual character of the Site from an open grass field to a landscaped parking lot and approximately 40,000 square feet building. However, the structure will be visibly compatible with the adjacent historic school buildings with the proposed plantation-style roofline and complementary paint color. The placement and height of the building will not obstruct any view planes toward the pu`u nor obstruct any existing views of the ocean,” the EA says. It does note, however, that the project building “at about 48 feet will exceed the zoning height limit of 35 feet. The tallest existing school building is approximately 40 feet. A height variance is being sought,” the EA states.
       The buildings would be made of cement to harden them against hurricanes and for sheltering people during and after natural disasters. At least one 2,000 square-foot-room, which could shelter 120 people during a short-term hurricane or air quality emergency, would be equipped to clean the air from vog. However, the main gym, with the ability to shelter 1,500 people for a short-term disaster and 560 people for temporary housing after a disaster, would be without the air cleaning equipment, according to the proposal. The EA states that Civil Defense is comfortable with providing clean air for 120 people.
      Public Works director Warren Lee wrote to the Office of Environmental Quality Control saying that his agency reviewed the Draft EA and anticipates a Finding of No Significant Impact.
      See more at http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Documents/Environmental_Notice/current_issue.pdf.

Pahala Library reopens today. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

PAHALA LIBRARY REOPENS TODAY after being closed for a month with hours Monday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The library is closed on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and all state holidays. It is recommended that patrons call before going there since there have been staff shortages that can sometimes close it down. Call 928-2015. 

AN EARTHQUAKE SWARM continued this morning at the place where Kilauea and Mauna Loa Volcanoes meet. The location is close to the border of Ka`u and Puna, about three miles west of Kilauea Crater. It is near the epicenter of the Kaoiki Earthquake that severely rocked Kapapala and Pahala. That 6.6 temblor, on the morning of Nov. 16, 1983, knocked the top off the chimney at the old Ka`u Hospital doctor’s residence and inflicted more than $7 million in damages from Ka`u to Hilo. The smaller earthquakes, yesterday and today, numbering more than 60, were no larger than a 3.2 magnitude and were mostly small, including one at 4:19 this morning at 1.9 magnitude - unfelt by most people in Ka`u.
      Stronger swarms of earthquakes happened at the same place in 1993, 1997, 2000 and 2006, according to Janet Babb, of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. “It’s a site of episodic seismicity,” she said. The Kaoiki fault system relates to the subsidence of the southeast flank of Mauna Loa.

Sen. Gil Kahele presented a message from the
state Senate at La `Elima last year.
Photo by Julia Neal

LA `ELIMA, hosted by Hauoli Kamana`o Church, will be held at Miloli`i Village Park Pavilion this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The church asks the public to talk story and enjoy live music, fire dancing and lu`au-style food. Walter Kahiwa, Jr., will give a detailed history of La `Elima. The gathering is in memory of events following a 7.0 earthquake in 1868 that took other fishing villages such as Kalapana underwater but spared Milloli`i. Miloli`i people took in the survivors from subsided villages and held a traditional gathering each year to honor their relationship.

THE KA`U RED HAT LADIES and Kalae Quilters sponsor a spaghetti dinner to benefit Ka`u Hospital this Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. Tickets are $9.99 and can be purchased at the door.

KA `OHANA O HONU`APO and Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka`u showcase demonstrations in Hawaiian crafts, games, and hula this Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Honu`apo Park. `O Ka`u Kakou will be selling shave ice and hot dogs, the Civic Club will be selling their hand-made Hawaiian items, and Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo will be selling T-shirts, water bottles and juice cans.

THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL has formed a West Hawai`i Sustainable Agriculture Skills Panel and is asking Kona, Kohala and Ka`u farmers to voice their concerns and solutions to help develop agriculture in the area. The forum is set to meet on Tuesday, March 6 in Kailua-Kona at King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There is no cost to participate in this forum. The forum has five focus areas: ag innovation and sustainability, education, infrastructure, recruiting, and food system. The forum is hosted by Hawai`i Department of Ag and Department of Labor. Guests are asked to RSVP to standford.j.fichtman@hawaii.gov. Call 808-586-8672 for more.

SEE OUR SPONSORS AT WWW.PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND WWW.KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 22, 2012

Snow days on Mauna Loa above Pahala began last weekend, and snow has been seen on the volcano every morning
since, here seen with Phoebe Gomes. Photo by Bobby Gomes

THE NEW STATE SENATE SEAT and new lines for the state House of Representatives that split Ka`u into two districts drew few people to a public hearing last night in Hilo. Some people testified that the Hilo Senate seat should be moved, which could pit Sen. Gil Kahele against former mayor Lorraine Inouye, who said she too will run for Senate. The redistricting now goes to public hearings and should be finalized by the end of the month. Candidates may be able to file papers to run for the state Legislature in March. The primary election is in August.

PERFORMANCE-BASED PAY and new evaluation methods for teachers passed the state Board of Education yesterday in an attempt to save $75 million in Race to the Top federal funding. The new measures would establish longer probations for new teachers seeking tenure. Annual evaluations would be tied to individual pay. The school board received a report from Tammi Chun, Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s education policy adviser, who, according to a Civil Beat story, said the administration has legal authority to install the performance management system, although it could be challenged by the teachers’ union. The governor wrote to the Board of Education saying evaluations of teachers will help reward the effective ones, remediate the marginal ones, dismiss ineffective ones and provide the right personal development for all of them, the Civil Beat story by Kathryn Poythress said. The union, school principals and other DOE staff will work together to come up with the evaluations. The proposal now goes to the union for its recommendation and approval.

PLANS FOR THE NEW KA`U DISASTER SHELTER and gymnasium are expected to be released tomorrow by the county Department of Public Works, which is building it; the county Department of Parks & Recreation, which will manage it; and PBR Hawai`i, which has written the Environmental Impact Statement that will be up for review by the public for a month starting tomorrow. The website is http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov. 

AN ONGOING SWARM of shallow earthquakes started after midnight last night about three miles northwest of Halema`uma`u Crater, reports Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Forty-eight earthquakes were strong enough to be located beneath Kilauea. The largest, with a preliminary magnitude of 3.4, was recorded at 6:56 a.m., with two deep quakes beneath the southwest rift zone, two beneath the southeast summit caldera, one within the upper east rift zone and four on south flank faults. For more information, visit http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php. 

PAHALA PUBLIC & SCHOOL LIBRARY and its book drop reopen tomorrow. Hours of operation will be Monday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The library is closed on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and all state holidays. “To assure that Pahala Public & School Library can stay open, we are encouraging people to use the library on a regular basis, which will support the statistics to show the library is needed in Pahala,” said Ka`u Branch manager Debbie Wong Yuen. The library offers a wide range of books, CDs and audio books for all ages, free to check out. DVDs can be checked out for one week with a $1 charge. Library staff and patrons can go online to find any book, CD or DVD in the library system and order them shipped here. The library also has computers with Internet connection and will soon have Wi-Fi connection. All these services are free with a Hawai`i State Public Library card. An individual’s first card is free of charge.
      Despite staff shortages at both Na`alehu and Pahala, both Ka`u libraries have been trying to stay open. When there is no permanent staff person to open either one of the libraries, one location will have to close for that day. Wong Yuen advises patrons to phone the library, and listen to the recorded message which will alert patrons of a closure. Call Pahala Public & School Library at 928-2015 and Na`alehu Public Library at 939-2442.

DONATIONS FOR A RUMMAGE SALE to benefit Ka`u Hospital Charitable Foundation’s scholarship fund are being accepted this week. The scholarship fund assists any Ka`u student enrolled in any medical training program. Items can be dropped off at Kama`aina Kuts behind Na`alehu Ace Hardware through Saturday. The rummage sale takes place Saturday, March 3. Call Ursula at 896-2624. 

THE KA`U RED HAT LADIES and Kalae Quilters sponsor a spaghetti dinner to benefit Ka`u Hospital this Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. Tickets are $9.99 and can be purchased at the door.

SOUTHSIDE VOLLEYBALL boys 13 and 14 years old won last night at Hilo at the two-day Haili Tournament. Adult women play tonight.

SEE OUR SPONSORS AT WWW.PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND WWW.KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.

Ka`u News Briefs Feb. 21, 2012

A public hearing on proposed state Senate and House of Representative district boundaries takes place this
evening at 6 p.m. in County Council chambers in Hilo. The green and  light pink areas would be new House Districts, splitting Ka`u. Ka`u would also be in two Senate Districts,  outlined in orange. 

DEVELOPERS ARE SUPPOSED to pay their way in creating infrastructure, such as roads, to reach and leave their project, according to county regulations. However, this “fair share” policy is expected to raise only about $3 million of the 2012-2013 capital improvements budget, according to a Nancy Cook Lauer story in this morning’s Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. Her story points out that the county Planning Department publishes a fair share report each year.
      She writes that “a fair share assessment is levied against new development to help pay for infrastructure to support the additional population that development brings.... Ironically, the district of Puna, the fastest-growing region in the county, has no fair share funds available in any category of infrastructure. Nor are there any funds available in Ka`u,” where Ocean View was a fast-growing community over the last decade.
      The story points out that concerns about individuals being able to afford to build homes has prevented the County Council from levying fees on each house built rather than on developers creating subdivisions and the larger development projects. Council member Pete Hoffmann, who called for a change to impact fees for each building, told the Tribune-Herald that $3 million is not “a lot of money to do anything with,” noting that one mile of road costs $3 million.

A MINIMUM OF SIX DAYS NOTICE for public hearings for issues under consideration by the county could be out the window, if a bill in the state House of Representatives passes the 2012 Legislature. Civil Beat reported on the measure this morning, noting that the Legislature is already exempt from the law, which allows deal making at the last minute with little input from the public. The measure for the counties, which goes to hearing today, is House Bill 2742. It has raised concern with Common Cause and community watchdogs Ian Lind and Larry Geller. Civil Beat reporter Michael Levine wrote: “We’ve seen the effect that this kind of exemption has on the Legislature. At the Ledge, the Sunshine Law exemption essentially has meant that much of the horse-trading over which bills live and die happens behind closed doors. Unless lawmakers want to talk about it, you never find out what happens, and you never get the full story.” See more at civilbeat.com. 

A Ka`u Family Center program supports
Ka`u fathers. Photo from United Way

KA`U FAMILY CENTER is offering a new program aimed at supporting Ka`u fathers. Family Support Hawai`i’s Fatherhood Initiative, Na Makuakane Maika`i O Hawai`i, has been available to fathers in Kona for the past eight years and is now available to men in Na`alehu and the surrounding communities.
      The Fatherhood Initiative’s mission is “to support men in developing and applying the fathering skills needed to be a positive influence to their children,” shared Pam Naumann, Youth Development Program Manager. The program offers both personal visits and group activities. During personal visits male family support staff and community mentors can visit fathers in the home, community, or workplace to be supportive in caring for their children. They can also assist with personal and family issues such as parenting skills, stress management, conflict resolution and child development.
      Group activities involve social activities and parenting classes just for fathers to discuss parenting issues. Father Coach Larry Ursua will be offering these services at the Ka`u Family Center on Thursdays. For more information, call Ursua at 334-4153.

ORDERING LIBRARY BOOKS, DVDs and other services from home has become more dynamic with the Hawai`i State Public Library System’s new portal at www.librarieshawaii.org. While Pahala Library is often closed and Na`alehu Library is small, the new system provides patrons with the ability to more effectively order from anywhere in the state library system and have the books, DVDs and other materials delivered directly to a library in Ka`u. Its powerful new search engine simultaneously explores the library system’s holdings, OverDrive ebook and digital audio books and music holdings, newspaper index entries, and subscription online databases.

      The new portal showcases several technological enhancements, including “fuzzy logic,” a feature that corrects errors such as misspellings and typos, and yields search results every time. The portal is mobile friendly, adjusting to allow the website to be viewed and used by mobile browsers.
      The new portal offers ChiliFresh, a global patron interaction platform to facilitate peer book reviews, creation of book clubs by staff and patrons, and provide a vehicle for interaction between book club participants.
      Funding for these electronic services is provided by the Federal Library Services and Technology Act, which is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

NEW STATE REAPPORTIONMENT MAPS for Hawai`i County will be presented at a public hearing today at 6 p.m. in County Council chambers in Hilo. The maps show the addition of a fourth state Senate seat for the Big Island and new boundaries for state House of Representative districts. With a boundary west of Punalu`u, Ka`u would have two state representatives.

Helene Hayselden, seated, demonstrates the art of making
a feather kahili. Photo from NPS

VIOLET MAY MAKUAKANE and Helene Hayselden demonstrate the art of making a feather kahili tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the lanai of Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Park entrance fees apply. 

DONATIONS FOR A RUMMAGE SALE to benefit Ka`u Hospital Charitable Foundation’s scholarship fund are being accepted this week. The scholarship fund assists any Ka`u student enrolled in any medical training program. Items can be dropped off at Kama`aina Kuts behind Na`alehu Ace Hardware through Saturday. The rummage sale takes place Saturday, March 3. Call Ursula at 896-2624.

A SPAGHETTI DINNER to benefit Ka`u Hospital takes place this Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. 

NOELANI HOOPAI, of Kamehameha Schools East Regional office, will be at Na`alehu United Methodist Church social hall on Monday, Feb. 27 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. to help Hawaiian families complete applications for any summer enrichment program and Ho`oulu Data Center.

SEE OUR SPONSORS AT WWW.PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND WWW.KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.