Ka`u News Briefs June 8, 2012

Photographer Robert Frutos teaches a course on the healing power of light, color and sound tomorrow in Volcano.
Waipio, New Dawn by Robert Frutos

COUNTY COUNCIL CANDIDATE Bradley Westervelt submitted testimony this week opposing the proposal for the County Corporation Counsel - the county attorney - to become an elected official with a four-year term. He wrote to council members: "The County Council has its very own pilot comprehensive funding program designed to provide an alternative to money influenced elections. Some of you helped create this 'clean elections' program.”

Bradley Westervelt, District 6 County
 Council Candidate.
Photo from Bradley Westervelt

     He also testified that, "Opening the position of lead Corporation Counsel to the influence of election money from private donors will have a detrimental effect on the overall team of attorneys who must work to defend all county agencies, year round and not only between election cycles." Westervelt said, "Making this an elected position would also certainly create enormous friction or even chaos among the staff of Hawai`i County Corporation Counsel, if not immediately, certainly in the future." He added that, "it costs the taxpayers of the County to add this race to the election ballot."
     Westervelt contended that it is "highly disingenuous for three-term veteran council member Brenda Ford, who has served during these recent years of County Charter Commission review, to introduce this proposal of Bill 211 so recently after she approved the completion of the once every 10 year Charter review project." He called the move "political posturing at its heart, and adopting Bill 211 will bring changes to the County Charter which will make our County Government less efficient, and also make our defense attorneys far more open to financial manipulation and corruption."
     Westervelt is running against Ford and others for the County Council in the newly redrawn District 6 from Volcano to South Kona.
     The proposal to put the corporate counsel bill on the ballot as a Charter Amendment goes before the council today for a final vote.

EcoTipBlog suggests locating hidden leaks by shutting off all taps,
take the reading, wait overnight and take it again to see if there are leaks.
If there is a leak, look for wet soil along the water line going
from the meter to the house. If a leak is in a pipe in its slab foundation,
 the water could cause the floor to deteriorate and start an escalation of
 mold and rot in the house. Photo from EcoTipBlog

THE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF WATER SUPPLY will no longer warn homeowners when their water use is higher than normal. From June 8, according to a message in the latest water bills: “Important Notice - We will no longer issue courtesy abnormal reading notices. All customers are responsible for monitoring and maintaining all plumbing on their side of the meter.” The water department will still allow for overage in water use when their private water lines break or leak, crediting the user a portion of the higher bill when they make immediate repairs. Such credits are allowed once in every three years.
     In the past, overage notices were sent out after the meter was read, only a few days before the bill was mailed. Now the consumer needs to look at the bill to see if there is an unusually high use of water.
     The water department has also steadily increased fees over the last year and a half as the cost of electricity it uses to pump water has soared. In February 2011, the water department posted on its bills a power cost charge increase from $1.66 to $1.75 per thousand gallons, retroactively charging consumers from Jan. 1.
     On May 1, 2011, the power charge rose to $1.89; on August 19, bills stated that the power charges rose to $2.23 retroactive to June 1. On Dec. 16, 2011 bills, it was announced power charge increase to $2.31, retroactive to Sept. 1. On April 13, 2012, power bills notified customers of an increase to $2.35 per 1,000 gallons retroactive to March 1.
     Electric bills go up with little notice from Hawai`i Electric Light Co., a water department employee explained. The water bill includes increases only from the date of the increased power charge, not for the entire water-billing period, she explained.
     Questions can be addressed to the water department at 961-8060.

Keoki Kahumoku has been teaching children `ukulele
for years in Ka`u. This session was in 2007 with Boys &
 Girls Club. Today free classes start in Na`alehu.
Photo by Julia Neal

FREE `UKULELE & SLACK-KEY GUITAR LESSONS are offered by Grammy Award Winner Keoki Kahumoku today in Na`alehu at the Methodist Church Social Hall. Beginner `Ukulele from 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., Advanced `Ukulele from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., and Slack-key Guitar from 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. The same class schedule is available on Wednesdays in Pahala at the Olson Trust Building on Maile & Pikake Streets. The classes are sponsored and made possible by the Center for Hawaiian Music Studies, Inc. For more info or to register, call 938-6582.

KEOKI KAUMOKU plays at Hana Hou Restaurant in Na`alehu tonight. Call 929-9717 for more.

KEAIWA plays at Shaka Bar & Restaurant in Na`alehu tonight. Call 929-7404 for more.

VOLCANO ART CENTER POETRY SLAM is held at the Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village tonight, starting at 8 p.m. Up to 15 poets, chosen at random, compete for prizes awarded to the top three finishers chosen by judges. $6 per person; drinks and snacks available for purchase. For more, contact Dave Wallerstein at 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.

ENTRANCE FEES ARE WAIVED at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow in celebration of Get Outdoors Day. Kilauea Military Camp, within the park, hosts an Open House, in which the facilities and services are available to the general public. Call 967-8371.

IMAGES FROM THE EDGE are displayed tomorrow at Volcano Art Center Gallery within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The finalist photographs from the Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park photo contest will be displayed everyday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Sunday, June 17. An opening reception is held tonight from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Park entrance fees apply.

THE HEALING POWER OF LIGHT, COLOR AND SOUND, taught by Robert Frutos, is tomorrow, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus. The course teaches principles used to promote openness, clarity and radiant well-being that are effective in supporting energy balance, inner calmness and deep relaxation. Includes a simple art project; no artistic experience necessary. $55 for the general public and $49.50 for VAC members. Call 967-8222 for more. 

RECYCLABLES ARE ACCEPTED in Ocean View tomorrow, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Atlas Recycling at South Point U-Cart. 

Pottery by Emily Herb. Photo from Ryh Pottery

THE FOURTH ANNUAL VOLCANO POTTERY SALE takes place tomorrow and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani. Eleven Big Island potters and ceramicists will present their art for this annual show and sale: Clayton Amemiya, TR Andrews, Jan Bovard, Birgitta Frazier, Ron Hanatani, Emily Herb, Shannon Hickey, Timothy Johnson, Chiu Leong, Jamie Stokes and Carol Yamashita. The sale will be in Hale Ho`omana, the VAC education building at 19-4074 Old Volcano Road. More information is available by calling 985-8530 or visiting the website, http://ryhpottery.com/volcano_pottery_sale. 

SUNDAY WALK IN THE PARK is led by Nick Shema from Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park this weekend from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This five-mile hike explores Kilauea Iki, Na Huku, Escape Road, Crater Rim, and Byron Ledge trails. Free to Friends members; non-members are welcome to join the nonprofit in order to attend. Park entrance fees apply. For more, call 985-7373 or email admin@fhvnp.org.

Alma Gorali learned knotting and macrame as a child in the
Philippines. Photo from Ka`u School of the Arts

SUMMER CREATIONS is hosted on Monday, King Kamehameha Day on Monday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., on the grounds of the Pahala Plantation House. This Ka`u School of the Arts’ free event is for all ages to engage in guided activities in a safe encouraging environment. The artists Alma Gorali, Jym Duncan, Betina Wajar, Terri Chapot, Bobbie Beebe, Suzshi Lang Iris Bishoff and others will guide participants in art activities during the event. Some activities may have a modest materials fee. For more, call 929-7544.

Ka`u News Briefs June 7, 2012

 Wedding at Punalu`u where Walczuk Productions applies for the required permits from the state. Photo from Walczuk

WEDDINGS ON PUBLIC BEACHES can require a permit from the state Department of Land & Natural Resources, according to a recent ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal. The state of Hawai`i has the right to regulate commercial weddings in order to protect more than 200 public beaches throughout the state. Plaintiffs claimed such permits violate the First Amendment, freedom of speech. The court disagreed but warned that the state could violate First Amendments rights if it were to revoke or change permits without due process.

THE CLOSEST MAJOR HOSPITAL TO KA`U, which is Hilo Medical Center, received a C grade in the latest national Leapfrog Hospital Safety Scores. Ka`u Hospital, which is a smaller, critical access hospital, is exempt from the ratings. Kona Hospital is also unrated. On O`ahu, Kaiser Foundation Hospital and Straub Clinic and Hospital received A grades while The Queens Medical Center received a B. Leapfrog describes its mission as to help patients choose where to go based on safety. It measures infections, complications, mistakes in giving medications and other errors, as well as lack of errors and regularity of good safety practices. 

     A statement from Leapfrog says, “Some people do more research on what car to buy than what hospital to go to for medical care. A hospital may have the best surgeons and greatest technology in the world, but unless it is preventing infections, and eliminating medical and medication errors and injuries, it is not delivering on a very basic premise: ensuring the safety of you and your loved ones.
     “The goal of the Hospital Safety Score is to reduce the more than 180,000 yearly deaths from hospital errors and injuries by publicly recognizing safety and exposing harm. “Harm” ranges from infections and acquired injuries (such as bedsores) to medication mix-ups and other errors, some potentially fatal.”
     See more at leapfroggroup.org/cp.

Goats are hunted by air in hard to hike to places. Photo from care2.com

HUNTERS FILLED THE COUNTY COUNCIL Chambers yesterday, supporting creation of a county Game Management Advisory Commission through a Charter Amendment, Bill 260. They also supported Bill 261 to ban aerial shooting of game animals. Shooting from helicopters by trained marksmen has been practiced to eliminate goats, sheep and pigs. Eradication of these ungulates is considered a step toward protecting native species and watersheds.
     The two measures are proposed by council chair Dominic Yagong. The ban on aerial shooting passed 8 to 1.
     The state Attorney General’s office, however, issued an opinion that the county has no authority to ban aerial shooting by marksmen hired by the state to control invasive mammals. Even though the state bans aerial hunting, a federal court ordered the state to shoot and kill ungulates by air in order to protect the palilia, a native bird recognized as an endangered species.
     A story by Nancy Cook Lauer in this morning’s West Hawai`i Today said that council member Brenda Ford urged the community to “continue the fight at the state level,” called the marksmen “chopper jockeys,” and then described the practice of shooting from the sky as inhumane. Hunters showed videos of a helicopter scaring sheep out of hiding places in order to shoot them, and carcasses of rotting animals that hunters said they could have shot for food for their families, the story says.
     The bill for the charter amendment to set up the Game Management Advisory Commission passed 8 to 0. To qualify as a Charter Amendment for the Nov. 6 ballot, it must survive another round of votes and pass across the mayor’s desk without his veto.
     The West Hawai`i Today reporter also noted that “A baseline study of food self-sufficiency in Hawai`i County released last week estimates that hunters add 163,000 pounds of meat — primarily from goats, sheep and pigs — to island tables over the course of a year. Bird hunting also contributes to the Big Island diet.”
     However, the story quotes University of Hawai`i-Hilo researcher Noah Gomes as saying that hunting ungulates is not a traditional Hawaiian practice as there were no goats and sheep before they were introduced here. “He said Hawaiians traditionally went to the forest for wood, plants and medicinal herbs,” the writer reports.
     According to the story, one man testified that the endangered palila bird uses the wool of the sheep to line its nests. “The sheep and the bird work together.” See more at westhawaiitoday.com.

Puna Geothermal Venture facility.
Photo from greenbydesignhawaii.wordpress.com

GEOTHERMAL PLANT EVACUATION PLANS would be required under measures moving forward at yesterday’s County Council meeting. County Council Chair Dominic Yagong not only proposes the plans for existing and future geothermal facilities. He wants county income from the geothermal – now totaling about $500,000 a year – to go toward health studies, safety measures and possible relocation of people adversely affected by living near geothermal power facilities. The council voted 8 to 1 yesterday in favor of requiring evacuation plans with only Dennis Ikeda casting an opposing vote. Using geothermal funding for health and safety drew supporting votes from Brenda Ford, Pete Hoffman, Angel Pilago, Brittany Smart, and Yagong. Fred Blas, Donald Ikeda, Dennis Onishi and J Yoshimoto voted against the measure.
     Ford said she wants the health studies to reveal the facts on any possible risks to health from geothermal, as some community members have been claiming for years that their health is affected, while others claim there is little risk. The county has about $4.2 million in its coffers from the geothermal royalties.

OCEAN VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH meets tonight at 7 p.m. at the Community Center. Call 939-7033.

VOLCANO ART CENTER POETRY SLAM is held at the Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village tomorrow, starting at 8 p.m. Up to 15 poets, chosen at random, compete for prizes awarded to the top three finishers chosen by judges. $6 per person; drinks and snacks available for purchase. For more, contact Dave Wallerstein at 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.

Pottery by Birgitta Fraizer. Photo from Ryh Pottery

THE FOURTH ANNUAL VOLCANO POTTERY SALE takes place this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Eleven Big Island potters and ceramicists will present their art for this annual show and sale: Clayton Amemiya, TR Andrews, Jan Bovard, Birgitta Frazier, Ron Hanatani, Emily Herb, Shannon Hickey, Timothy Johnson, Chiu Leong, Jamie Stokes and Carol Yamashita. The sale will be in Hale Ho`omana, the VAC education building at 19-4074 Old Volcano Road. More information is available by calling 985-8530 or visiting the website, http://ryhpottery.com/volcano_pottery_sale.

ENTRANCE FEES ARE WAIVED at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park this Saturday in celebration of Get Outdoors Day.
     Within the park, Kilauea Military Camp hosts an Open House, in which the facilities and services are available to the general public. Call 967-8371.
     Starting Saturday, Volcano Art Center Gallery inside the park presents multiple finalist photographs from Friend of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park's Images from the Edge contest. The public is invited to view the gallery, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., until Sunday, June 17. An opening reception is held tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Park entrance fees apply.

RECYCLABLES ARE ACCEPTED in Ocean View on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Atlas Recycling at South Point U-Cart.

Pops Hosoi stands with artwork on canvas, wood and gourds.

KING KAMEHAMEHA DAY IN PAHALA on Monday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., will feature art by Alma Gorali, Jym Duncan, Betina Wajar, Terri Chapot, Bobbie Beebe, Suzshi Lang Iris Bishoff and others at the Pahala Plantation House. The artists will guide participants in art activities during this Ka`u School of the Arts’ Summer Creations event. The event is free, and some activities may have a modest materials fee.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.

Ka`u News Briefs June 6, 2012

Alicia Tsukamoto and Beth Pallota welcome vendors and customers to the new Shaka location
for Ka`u Farmers Market. Photo by Jolene Koi

KA`U FARMERS MARKET reopened this morning in Na`alehu on the makai side of Hwy 11 on the grounds of Shaka Restaurant. The market shut down without notice last Saturday at around 9 a.m. in front of ACE Hardware, where a woman apparently fell several weeks ago and threatened a lawsuit.

Donna Masaniai buys fresh vegetables from Hester's Farm.
Photo by Tanya Ibarra

     At Shaka, vendors set up throughout the front parking lot, grassy yard and lanai. Rory Koi, general manager of Shaka Bar & Restaurant, said, “I am from the community and know most of these people, and know that for many of them their livelihood depends on the farmers market. Everyone was so mad and so sad that day, I just said, 'Come on over here.'”
     Among shoppers at the new location today was Donna Masaniai, of Pahala Quilting, who said, “I depend on the fresh vegetables.” She said she is relieved to find the market still intact.

Shaka welcomed Ka`u Farmers Market vendors this morning, 

after they were evicted from ACE Hardware, after being 

there for more than a decade.  Photo by Jolene Koi

     Farmers Market manager Shari Quensel said, “Everyone is giving a big mahalo to Shaka. This really helps the community. There are usually about 36 vendors and 24 showed up this morning.” She said she expects the rest to come to the new location Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, with the opportunity to stay until 4 p.m.
     For more information about the Ka`u Farmers Market or to become a vendor call Na`alehu Main Street at 339-1032.

VOLUNTEERS TO HELP RECORD news stories from images of Hawaiian language newspaper pages dating back into the 1800s are needed. The project aims to use a body of knowledge in Hawaiian language newspapers to update the history of Hawai`i, since most history books were written without using this resource. Hawaiians were a very literate culture in the 1800s, with newspapers sprouting up across the islands, written in the native language. Hawaiian language papers were published from 1834 to 1949.

Studying Hawaiian language newspapers is changing the
way history of the Islands is understood and written.

     Some 60,000 pages from newspapers have been scanned and put online where volunteers look at each scan and type the stories, notices and ads into text files that can be used by search engines to study Hawaiian history. Schools, halau, civic clubs and almost 6,000 individuals have signed up to help out. Each page typed can be dedicated to a person or community group and the website acknowledges each person who volunteers.
     The host of the project is Awaialu: Perpetuating Past to Present. The project is `Ike Ku`oko`a, Liberating Knowledge. It was presented by Hawaiian language expert, Dr. Puakea Nogelmeier, and project outreach manager Kau`i Sai-Dudoit last night in Volcano at After Dark in the Park. To help out, see www.awaiaulu.org.

NASA captured Venus crossing the edge of the disk of the sun.
Live internet viewing of the Venus Transit was available direct from
Mauna Kea telescopes through NASA's website.

THE TRANSIT OF VENUS ACROSS THE SUN was easily seen by the telescopes on Mauna Kea yesterday afternoon and sent to computer screens with live reporting by scientists. The movement of Venus, a planet closer to the sun than Earth, was seen through protective lenses and by telescope as a small dot marching across the sun for six hours and 40 minutes. The next time Venus will transit the sun for Earth viewers will be 105 years from now. Hawai`i was one of the best places on the planet for yesterday’s viewing.

MORE CANDIDATES filed yesterday on the last day to sign up to run for public office in the Aug. 11 primary. Last minute candidates to file included Lee McIntosh for District 6 County Council, who was the first to announce last December; Harry Kim and Share Christie for Mayor and Jeff LaFrance for state Senate District 3. The latest list of candidates for Ka`u and Volcano areas:
     Mayor of Hawai`i County: Share Christie, Daniel Cunningham, Billy Kenoi, Harry Kim, Anne Marsh, Rand Walls and Dominic Yagong.
     U.S. House: David Crowley, Rafael del Castillo, Matthew DeGeronimo, Tulsi Gabbard, Mufi Hannemann, Esther Kia`aina, Bob Marx and Miles Shiratori.
     State Senate District 2: Bob Herkes, Wendell Ka`ehu`ae`a, Russell Ruderman, Gary Safarik and Daryl Smith.
     State Senate District 3: Josh Green, Jeff LaFrance, Michael Last and John Totten.
     State Representative District 3: Fred Fogel, Marlene Hapai, Richard Onishi and Brittany Smart.
     State Representative District 5: David Bateman, Denny Coffman and Leolani Oyama.
     Hawai`i County Council District 6: Maile David, Brenda Ford, Lee McIntosh and Bradley Westervelt.
     Prosecuting Attorney: Lincoln Ashida, Paul Dolan and Mitch Roth.
     Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee for Island of Hawai`i: Bob Lindsey, William Meyers and Edwin Miranda.
     OHA Trustee – No Island Residency Requirement: Suzanne Apoliona, Kealii Makekau and Walter Ritte.

Fishing is popular among Ka`u families, but sometimes dangerous to
even the most experienced fishermen. Photo by Julia Neal

LIVES LOST ON THE KA`U COAST DURING THE LAST SIX YEARS WERE THOSE OF SKILLED FISHERMEN. While opihi picking is often considered the most dangerous job in Hawai`i as fishermen scrape limpets from rocks in the wave zone, it was free diving, shore fishing, and setting and throwing net that some of Ka`u’s more experienced fishermen were enjoying when they passed away. Among them are: famous opihi picker, fisherman and hiker of the Ka`u Coast John Gali, while retrieving a net set at South Point; experienced free diver Derek Hara while diving on the south shore; Leo Norberte, Jr. while night diving at Honu`apo; Bill Evangelista while shore fishing at South Point; Len Nakano while shore fishing at Pohinapale near Honu`apo; Boyd Yoshida while free diving along Ka`u’s southern coast; and last weekend Chaz Moses while throwing net at South Point. All of these fishermen provided food for family and friends in Ka`u.

OCEAN VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH meets tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at the Community Center. For more, call 939-7033.

VOLCANO ART CENTER POETRY SLAM is held at the Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village Friday, starting at 8 p.m. Up to 15 poets, chosen at random, compete for prizes awarded to the top three finishers chosen by judges. $6 per person; drinks and snacks available for purchase. For more, contact Dave Wallerstein at 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.

RECYCLABLES ARE ACCEPTED Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Atlas Recycling at South Point U-Cart.

ENTRANCE FEES ARE WAIVED to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park this Saturday in celebration of Get Outdoors Day.

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