Ka`u News Briefs March 22, 2012

Ka`u High's robotics students will compete in the Rebound Rumble on O`ahu beginning today. Photo from FIRST

KA`U HIGH SCHOOL’S ROBOTICS TEAM headed by Leilani Desmond competes today through Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center at University of Hawai`i-Manoa. Ka`u and six other Big Island high schools are represented. The competition is called the Rebound Rumble and is staged on a carpeted mini court where robots attempt to put as many basketballs in a hoop as possible. The robots can be no larger then 28 by 30 inches and extend to a maximum of five feet tall. Some of the robots have a long arm that can dunk the ball and others can shoot the ball. The competition, called the Hawai`i Regional Robotics Competition, is sponsored by an organization called For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. 

Ka`u High students made this robot for the
competition. Photo from Steve Stephenson

      The FIRST organization, founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989, also created the First Lego League, Junior First Lego League and First Tech Challenge Competitions. It also hosts camps and other educational programs to promote teamwork, collaboration, respect toward one’s competitors and integrity in one’s actions. The students learn to work as engineers. Ka`u High science and chemistry teacher Theodore Brattstrom is faculty.

MORE RECYCLABLE ITEMS would be eligible for money under a pilot program that is being debated in the County Council. Schools, churches and nonprofits would be able to earn money by setting up a drop off place for a broader range of recyclables and taking them to a recycler to retrieve money. The measure would allow a pilot program operated simultaneously with the current recycling program at county transfer stations. The measure requests the county administration to provide money for recyclables not covered by the HI-5 program. Metal, cardboard, glass and plastic would draw five cents a pound. Council chair Dominic Yagong said he imagines recycling centers set up at schools, churches and other nonprofit locations. Ka`u Councilmember Brittany Smart said that with increased incentives, not recycling would be “like burning money.” South Kona Council member Brenda Ford said that people would have to understand that they would not individually receive money for turning in recyclables. It would be like donating money to the church, school or other nonprofit. The goal, said Yagong, it to divert more waste out of landfills.

THE COUNTY COULD HAVE AN ELECTED attorney, just like the prosecuting attorney, if another measure by Yagong is approved in a Charter Amendment. The Council’s Governmental Relations Committee is discussing whether to propose a found year term, like the prosecutor’s, or a six year term, as proposed by J Yoshimoto. The corporate council serves the County Council, departments and the mayor.

A BRUSH FIRE in the old mill yard near KAHU Radio Station in Pahala yesterday was extinguished after Mona Chow and Dean Nagasako, an announcer on the radio, reported it to the Fire Department.

COMMENTS ON THE KA`U DISTRICT Gym & Shelter Draft Environmental Assessment are due tomorrow. The draft environment assessment is available at Pahala and Na`alehu Public Libraries and online at hawaii.gov/health/environmental/oeqc/index.html. Comments can be sent to Tammy Kapali, Planner, PBR Hawai`i & Associates, Inc., 1001 Bishop Street, Suite 650 Honolulu, HI 96813 or faxed to 808-523-1402. Comments can also be sent to County of Hawai`i Department of Public Works, Attn: David Yamamoto, Aupuni Center, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 7, Hilo, HI 96720 or faxed to 808-961-8630.

KA`U HIGH’S VARSITY BASEBALL TEAM welcomed Kea`au yesterday afternoon at Pahala Ballpark. Kihei Serrao hit a three-run homerun, while teammate Mark Cuison brought in a triple. Although Ka`u led 4-2 at the end of the first inning, Kea`au eventually won the game, 9-4. Pitching for the Trojans was Anthony Emmsley-Ah Yee.

Donald Garo, Jr. fakes a spike at last night's winning Ka`u
High School volleyball game. Photo by  Nalani Parlin

KA`U HIGH BOYS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL took down Konawaena last night on home turf. The Trojans were on fire, scoring 19 points in the first set within the first ten minutes of the game. They zipped through the first two sets, winning 25-10 and 25-12. Konawaena put up a fight in the last set, managing to tie the Trojans at 21 points. However, the Trojans inched ahead to win 25-23. Support the Trojans as they host St. Joseph on Friday and Laupahoehoe on Saturday. Both games start at 6 p.m.

COACHING positions are now open for Ka`u High fall sports. Applications for football head coach and cross-country head coach can be picked up at the school office. Deadline is March 30.

CAREN LOEBEL-FRIED demonstrates her linoleum block print process and signs prints and copies of Legend of the Gourd, her latest book about a story set in Ka`u, at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free, and park entrance fees apply.

NA`ALEHU MAIN STREET presents The Hurricane on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. The performance of this original three-act murder mystery benefits the Food Pantry. Attendees are asked to bring canned food equivalent to $10 or a check made out to Hawaiian Island Food Basket, with a notation in the TOP LEFT corner stating Ocean View Pantry 551, for the same amount. For more information, call 929-7236 or email marge@hawaii.rr.com. 

ONE MORE DAY TO COUNT WHALES for the National Marine Sanctuary this year. It will take place on the Ka`u Coast and inside Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on Saturday, March 31 from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Volunteers count and record whale behavior. Register at http://sanctuaryoceancount.org. See http://hawaiihumpackwhale.noaa.gov. T-shirts for the 2012 Sanctuary Ocean Count are also available.

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

Ka'u News Briefs March 21, 2012

Years ago, Derek Kurisu began promoting locally produced foods with television, print and visiting Ka`u and other schools.
Photo from Hawai`i Department of Agriculture

DEREK KURISU, who started the Mountain Apple Brand label for locally grown foods, has been appointed to the Agribusiness Development Corp. ADC is the quasi government agency considered important for restoring old plantation water systems for the future of agriculture in Ka`u. Kurisu has been a commencement speaker at Ka`u High and brings his flare for cooking with local ingredients to the campus for presentations. He produces cable TV shows Living in Paradise and Seniors Living in Paradise. Kurisu is Vice President of Purchasing and Executive Vice President of Perishable Operations at KTA Super Stores. He has worked at KTA for 44 years.

      Gov. Neil Abercrombie also submitted the name of Letitia Uyehara for reappointment to an at-large seat on the ADC. She is director of marketing and special programs at Armstrong Produce, Ltd., following 30 years with the state where she was Deputy Director of Agriculture and Director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control.
      The governor also appointed developer Patrick Kobayashi for the Honolulu seat on the Agricultural Development Corp. He is President and CEO of Kobayashi Group, LLC, and worked for the National Association of Home Builders in Washington, D.C.

THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE could see two new members appointed by the governor. Glenn Hong is President of Hawaiian Tug & Barge Corp. and Young Brothers, Ltd. He is completing his third year as Board of Governors Chair of the Hawai`i Employers Council. Lynn DeCoite is appointed to the Maui County seat. She is owner and manager of a sweet potato farm, L&R Farm Ent., LLC, and V-8 Ranch in Ho`olehua. Ka`u has a representative on the Board of Agriculture, rancher Michelle Galimba. All of the appointments require confirmation by the state Senate.

INVEST IN AMERICA would provide new opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs, says Rep. Dan Akaka. After opposition from such groups as AARP, the AFLCIO and some investment groups, he co-sponsored an amendment to the Act before congress. He said his amendment would “help capital in a way that protects investors, provides financing so businesses can expand and hire more workers, and encourages U.S. companies to export and compete in a global marketplace.”

     Akaka said it would “ensure banks and other large companies, with lots of shareholders, are subject to basic transparency, integrity, and accountability protections; and reauthorize the Export-Import bank, which provides crucial funding to American businesses and supports almost 300,000 jobs yearly.”

      “In order to keep our nation on the path to economic recovery,” declared Akaka, “we must help small businesses access capital and reduce barriers for start-ups. However, we should not do so at the price of consumer safety or market integrity. We must be very careful to do all we can to promote robust capital investment, and at the same time, ensure investor protections are securely in place.”

COMMENTS ON THE KA`U DISTRICT Gym & Shelter Draft Environmental Assessment are due Friday. The Draft Environment Assessment is available at Pahala and Na`alehu Public Libraries and online at hawaii.gov/health/environmental/oeqc/index.html. Comments can be sent to Tammy Kapali, Planner, PBR Hawai`i & Associates, Inc., 1001 Bishop Street, Suite 650 Honolulu, HI 96813 or faxed to 808-523-1402. Comments can also be sent to County of Hawai`i Department of Public Works, Attn: David Yamamoto, Aupuni Center, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 7, Hilo, HI 96720 or faxed to 808-961-8630.

Waipio, First Light. Robert Frutos offers a class in Volcano Saturday.  
Photo by Robert Frutos

WATCH FOR THE HURRICANE this weekend. The original three-act murder mystery is set for this Saturday, 4 p.m., at Ocean View Community Center; doors open at 3:30 p.m. The performance benefits the Food Pantry. Attendees are asked to bring canned food equivalent to $10 or a check to Hawaiian Food Pantry for the same amount. For more information, call 929-7236 or email marge@hawaii.rr.com.

DEMYSTIFY YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA, a class offered through Volcano Art Center by Photographer Robert Frutos, is scheduled for this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Frutos will show participants how their cameras work and teaches how to optimize ones’ camera depending on the specific need. All are welcome; participation fees are $68 for VAC members and $75 for others. Call 967-8222.

Ka`u News Briefs March 20, 2012

Mayor Billy Kenoi spoke to a full house at Na`alehu School last night. Photos by Julia Neal

A FULL HOUSE AT NA`ALEHU SCHOOL CAFETERIA greeted Mayor Billy Kenoi and many of the department heads last night as they took the county to the community. Kenoi said the purpose was to “to listen and to learn, to help, assist and to follow up.” The mayor said he brings county staff into each community at least once a year because Hawai`i County has 4,028 square miles, bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island and about the same size as Connecticut. “We have to bring the government to the people, so everybody feels connected,” he said.
      Among county chiefs attending were directors of planning, water, public works, parks, police, transportation, civil defense, information, housing, finance, environmental management and economic development, as well as attorneys working for the county. Kenoi said he would “stand here take any question on any topic related to government, and will stay after until all questions are answered.”

Billy Kenoi's administration reduced consulting contracts
by $12 million, he told citizens attending the talk story,
where co-sponsor Jessie Marques of Ka`u Rural Health
Community Association talked to the mayor.

THE BUDGET was the mayor’s main focus during his presentation. He noted that the county had 2700 employees when he took office and now has 2500. He pointed to property taxes remaining the same as when he took office. He said he and his staff reduced the budget from $403 million to $364.5 million, without raising taxes and while maintaining such services as police, fire, transportation and senior programs. This was a time when the county weathered four of the most economically challenging years in county history, the mayor said. He noted that Tom Brown and the county transportation department started its free Hele On Bus service with Ka`u High School, providing after school service so that students could stay for sports and other activities “to keep them safe.”
      The mayor also said he targeted county consulting fees when he took office taking them from $16 million a year to $4 million. More work is done in house now. He pointed to a road project with much of the engineering and management of the project done by county employees, allowing the county to build “twice the road for the same amount of money.”

Several community members last night
said they are afraid to go to Kawa,
which recently became county land.  
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

THE FUTURE OF KAWA drew the most comments and questions from the public. Now that Kawa is in public ownership, the mayor said, his staff is meeting with local families and other members of the public to help plan its future and the stewardship of the land. Several native Hawaiian families, including members of the Apiki clan, said with people living on the county property there, they don’t feel safe going to Kawa and they fear that historic sites are being damaged. Several members of the public asked for county help to make Kawa open for everyone.
      The mayor vowed to work on the issue and said he didn’t want to evict people, who could be fined $25 and come right back to Kawa. He said he wanted to work out a long-term solution and asked for continued patience. “Our goal is to transfer ownership, stewardship and management to the people of Ka`u,” the mayor said. He said that the acquisition of Kawa was “paid for by all the people.”
      Paul Makuakani, of Wai`ohinu, offered to take anyone concerned about Kawa to visit Abel Simeona Lui who lives there with friends and family, himself a resident for some 20 years. Lui has claimed the property belongs to him in the face of court decisions allowing for his eviction.
      Rancher Kyle Soares asked for more protection for people going to Kawa. “When we go down to Kawa, the police stop at the border as if it was border between Texas and Mexico,” he said. Several others said they had been harassed by people at Kawa and asked the county to take control of the area.
      The mayor said Kawa involves complex cultural issues, not just a “series of arrests, evictions, more arrests and evictions.” He said his vision is "a transition and transfer from what it is to what it is going to be."

BETTER COMMUNICATION FOR POLICE was another issue brought forward. Police Chief Harry Kojiri said one initiative is to provide mobile data terminals in every police vehicle that allow police officers to file reports and interact with the Hawai`i Police Department. He noted, however, that to a communications line at the Ocean View Police Substation would cost $1,000 a month. The mayor said that a $30 million project for communication towers to help with civil defense and other county services around the island is in the works.

Ola Kochis asked Public Works Director Warren
Lee about water for Green Sands subdivision.

AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC WATER were both addressed by the public. Making water available to Hawaiian Home Lands at South Point from Mountain House and Ha`ao Springs in Wai`ohinu was suggested. Rancher Kyle Soares proclaimed “Supress a person? Cut off their water or don’t develop water.” He said that water development would help with the creation of housing in all of the subdivisions that already exist – instead of cutting up more land for more subdivisions.
      The mayor asked Soares to organize people from Ka`u with water concerns to meet with the county.

MIKE DUBOIS talked about the new Ocean View water spigots expected to be available to the public May 1. He recommended that the speed limit be reduced on Hwy 11 to 30 miles an hour near the water station and also to make the drive through the Ocean View commercial area more pleasant and more likely for visitors to stop in and use local businesses. Public Works Director Warren Lee said he would talk to the state Department of Transportation.
      Dubois also asked if overflow water could be used to create a community garden on the grounds of the water station. Mayor Billy Kenoi said he supports the idea.

Marie Burns

MARIE BURNS, who is running for County Council, asked how the county takes care of trimming trees at county parks. The mayor explained that the county parks department has its own crews, as does the county roads division. The Department of Parks also takes care of 33 cemeteries. Burns commented that private contractors are hired for emergencies, like trees falling. It may be more prudent to maintain more regular maintenance than pay for emergency care of trees by private contractors, Burns said.

A COUNTY OFFICE for Ka`u where citizens can participate in County Council meetings remotely and take their concerns was brought up by a member of the public. Kenoi asked Nelson Ho from the office of council member Brittany Smart about the project, which was one of her campaign promises. Ho said that her staff is working with the state to release a section of the old Na`alehu Courthouse, which is not being used, in order to create the regional council office.

KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL holds a meeting tonight, 5 p.m., at Pahala Community Center. Public is invited to help the coffee farmers celebrate their new industry and thank the community through this annual event to be held on May 12.

HULA HALAU KE `OLU MAKANI O MAUNA LOA performs tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Donations are accepted, and park entrance fees apply.

Ka'u experienced unhealthy air quality this morning. The
proposed shelter gym could have two rooms with air
cleaning equipment. Image from hiso2index.info

COMMENTS ON THE KA`U DISTRICT Gym & Shelter Draft Environmental Assessment are due Friday. One of the issues is how much space will be cleaned by air cleaning equipment. Preliminary plans call for possibly two rooms separate from the gym to be air-conditioned for vog. Together they would hold less than 300 people. The main gym would hold some 1,500 people, but is not planned for air cleaning.
     The Draft Environment Assessment is available at Pahala and Na`alehu Public Libraries and online at hawaii.gov/health/environmental/oeqc/index.html. Comments can be sent to Tammy Kapali, Planner, PBR Hawai`i & Associates, Inc., 1001 Bishop Street, Suite 650 Honolulu, HI 96813 or faxed to 808-523-1402. Comments can also be sent to County of Hawai`i Department of Public Works, Attn: David Yamamoto, Aupuni Center, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 7, Hilo, HI 96720 or faxed to 808-961-8630.